It's Been a Pretty Good Year for Kurt Hummel
by Vernalequinox7
Summary: A Glee-wind of Klaine. Now that the boys are in love, let's take a look back at the moments that got Kurt and Blaine to where they are now. Working backwards from New York, each chapter is a "deleted scene" based on a line of dialogue from an episode.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:  
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**Hello fellow Gleeks and Klaine-shippers! **

**Here's my first attempt at a Klaine fic (or at any sort of creative writing since dinosaurs roamed the earth). I was torn between wanting to write a summer/senior year fic and going back to revisit Klaine's relationship through Season Two. This might sound redundant since I know a lot of you out there have already written Season 2 fics (and yes, my heartfelt thanks to all of you for the inspiration!). But since I suck at imagining completely new plot lines, I went with the second option. I see this as a way to make more sense of Klaine, now that we all know what happens. So, if there is still interest out in the fandom in Klaine Season 2, I'll write my way backwards from the New York episode back to NBK. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Glee, or any of its fantastic characters and story lines. **

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><p><strong>Ch. 1 - And Just to Clear the Air<strong>

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><p><em>I love you too…<em>

These words kept replaying in Blaine's mind. It happened on Monday, New Directions' first full day back from New York since the Show Choir National Championships. Kurt could not have waited a moment longer to recount all his adventures to his boyfriend. Blaine was thankful that there were no classes at Dalton Academy on that particularly day, due to a pedagogy workshop for the elite private schools' staff. This allowed him to meet Kurt for a lunch hour latte, a luxury not normally afforded on a school day. Unlike most after school coffee dates, when he was still clad in his oppressively neat Dalton uniform, he could wear regular street clothes this time. Secretly, Blaine preferred his blazer because it meant he wouldn't have to put his atrocious fashion sense out for the world to see. But for Kurt's welcome home coffee date, he wanted to try extra hard. He wanted all of him, including his outfit, to scream, "Hello, beautiful! Welcome back I've missed you so much and am SO happy to have you back at my side again now please never ever leave me again for this long because I missed you so much I almost died and did I mention again that I'm so happy you're home because I am I really am now tell me everything!" He selected a pair of tight fitting jeans that accentuate his muscular legs and a plaid shirt with a red cardigan, a color that matched his bright mood.

The Warblers' lead singer gushed with admiration when Kurt, blue-green eyes sparking with excitement, described in meticulous detail the events of the weekend. The brunette countertenor, who possessed a competitive streak that a seasoned Olympic ski champion would find intimidating, did not seem the least bit upset at his glee club's placement at Nationals. The boy with the immaculately styled curls leaned into his palm and stared dreamily at his…_boyfriend_? _No_, he thought, _that wouldn't do, not even close!_ Kurt was so much more to him than just a boyfriend, more than even a high school sweetheart. That quirky young man was his compass and his anchor. He was the gentle breeze that caressed his curls and the cool autumn air that refreshed his lungs. He was the medium drip that enervated his core. In fact, he thought Lima Bean's coffee tasted a lot like Kurt (no matter how much Wes and David insisted it was just the hazelnut syrup). A wave of adoration washed over Blaine, and the words flew out of his mouth before he even knew they had come out.

In the days that followed, the boys met for their after school rendez-vous as they had always done since Kurt's transfer back to McKinley. Yet something about these coffee and dinner dates seemed different. Blaine had watched Kurt swallow his coffee a bit awkwardly at the three little words. He had seen the look that flickered through Kurt's eyes for a brief second before the fashionable singer echoed in response. Blaine still could not quite place what that look was. _Shock? Anxiety? Uncertainty?_ Blaine felt he should be happy that Kurt had said "I love you" back, and told himself that Kurt's reaction was exactly what he should have expected. Yet his stomach knotted up every time he thought about the way Kurt had so quietly made his announcement. The boys had kept up their normal flirtatious banter, late night text messaging and went about their routines exactly as they had done before that Monday. This was preciously it, though. They had not reiterated their declarations of love, as if neither were completely willing to come to terms with the raw emotions that accompanied those vows.

It was now Saturday evening, a few days after Kurt and Blaine had exchanged "I love you"s. The boys were lying side by side on a blanket spread out on a grassy knoll, with their fingertips just brushing, watching the first star appear in the night sky. Both were eerily silent. Finally, Kurt sat up.

"Blaine?"

"Hmmm?"

"We…we need to t-talk," Kurt said, barely above a whisper, absentmindedly brushing the fuzz off his white designer denim jacket.

The stammer caught Blaine's attention. He propped himself up on his elbows and angled his body to face the other boy. "Mmmkay, what about?"

Kurt locked eyes with Blaine before he continued. "It's about what we said to each other, after I came back from Nationals…" His voice trailed off as he looked down at his hands, which were clasped together so tightly that his knuckles began turning white.

Blaine now pulled himself into a sitting position. He started to reach his hand out to Kurt, but then withdrew it, and instead he wrapped his arms around his knees. He inhaled and exhaled nervously. "You mean when we said…"

Kurt closed his eyes, and drew a deep breath before reconnecting his gaze with Blaine. "Y-yeah, about that. It's just, you know, those are really important words, and we haven't talked about it at all –that we said it to each other, and what it all means for…for us."

"Oh, Kurt-"

"Now, just let me finish…I know you're not good with words and saying what you feel, and I know you're always torturing yourself over what to say and when to say it. But this is a big deal. I feel like things have somehow been different for us in the last few days…"

Kurt shifted awkwardly, throwing his knees to one side and bunching the picnic blanket in his fists. He looked down at his lap. "Ugh, I don't know what I'm trying to say…" He squeezed his eyes shut in frustration.

When Blaine heard the tremor in Kurt's voice, his heart began to pound. _What could this possibly mean?_ A million thoughts flooded his brain. _Was Kurt reprimanding him for his lack of romantic timing? Was he taking their relationship too fast? Was he feeling coerced into something more than he can handle? Was he, heaven forbid, having second thoughts about them? _

"Oh Kurt, I am so sorry. I don't know why I said I love you when I did. I mean, I _do _love you, and I meant it when I said it, but I had always thought I'd have a much more special way of saying it to you instead of just out of nowhere like that. I have no idea what got into me," He reached out to grab Kurt's hands and began rubbing them lightly. "Please, I hope you understand that I wasn't trying to pressure you into saying it back. I really did want you to know, at some point or another, how I truly feel about you, but just know that I would have understood if you didn't want to say it back right away…or ever, even…"

It was Blaine's turn to stare at his lap. His eyes began to well up at the thought that Kurt might never love him. If it hadn't been pitch black, Kurt would have seen the color drain from his boyfriend's face. _This is it_, Blaine thought to himself. This was finally the time when Kurt would admit that he didn't really feel the same way about him. Ever since he worked up the nerve to tell his best friend how he really saw him, his carried out his daily routines with zeal. He did not just walk to his classes; he sprang to them. His thoughts were constantly occupied by the memory of Kurt's lips whenever they touched his, and the color of the gorgeous boy's eyes when they fixed their gaze on his own. He felt like he was floating in the clouds most of the time. The couple was in their honeymoon phase, but now, Blaine supposed it was all coming to an end. Kurt had just come back from New York and seen what the world outside of Ohio could offer – freedom to be his fabulous self, opportunities for stardom, and dashingly handsome guys in the fashion or theater business who would line up at Kurt's door just for a chance to go on a date with the porcelain skinned heartthrob. He knew that Kurt would eventually figure out that there were many more fish in the sea. How could Blaine, a hobbit of a boy from the Ohio backwater, possibly measure up to expectations?

Blaine felt Kurt's hands slide up his arms to grab him by the shoulders. "Oh, Blaine, oh goodness no!" Kurt exclaimed. "Don't be sorry! I should be the one who's sorry!" Kurt brushed the back of his hand by Blaine's moist cheek. He then cupped his hand underneath the boy's jaw, and gently lifted his chin.

"Look at me, and listen. I'm sorry that I didn't sound very convincing when I said I love you back." Kurt ran his free hand through Blaine's curls. "I meant it, and I still mean it now – I love you. It's just…well, it's the most exhilarating and most frightening thing at the same time. Does that make any sense at all?"

Blaine took the hand that was on his chin and kissed it gently. "Y-yeah…I think so," he whispered, squeezing the hand softly.

Kurt spoke again, this time with more confidence. "A year ago I never thought I'd have any of this. I just resigned myself to the fact that I will never really be happy until I get out of this little town. And then you came into the picture. I never told you this, but after we sang together at Christmas I admitted to Mr. Schue that I'm in love with you, and that you being actually being gay was considered progress enough for me. I kept telling myself that unrequited love from my best friend would be the most I could ever hope for. I never, ever thought you could love me the same way I love you. And I am afraid that one day I'll wake up, and all of this will just have been a silly dream."

"Kurt, I've loved you since the day we met." Blaine let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "There you were, so defiant and confident, and at the same time so…_broken_. I wanted to just hold you, say sweet things to you and get rid of everything that was hurting you. When you cry it breaks my heart because there isn't anything I can do to keep you from suffering. And when you laugh I feel like we can fly far, far away to a land of rainbows and unicorns. It just took me forever to realize that all this was love. Darling, _you_ are my everything. If you walked off the edge of the earth, I'd be right there with you because I can't imagine a world without you." He cast his glistening eyes at Kurt's, silently professing his undying love with his intense look.

"Oh, Blaine, that's how I feel about you. You gotta know, this isn't just some meaningless teenage thing. When I'm with you, I feel it with all my heart that it's where I'm meant to be. No matter how bad things get, I just know that everything will be okay as long as I have you. I – love – you." Kurt pulled his boyfriend into a close embrace. "More than these three little words can ever show, my dear. You, more than anything else, give me a reason to wake up every morning," he murmured into the other boy's ear. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I will never let go of you." Tears streamed down Blaine's face as he wrapped his arms around the body that was pressed against his. He buried his head into Kurt's shoulder, and both boys finally unleashed their emotions into each other through sobs and sighs.

The pair pulled apart when their breathing had steadied. Blue-green eyes gazed into hazel ones. Mouths lifted into shy smiles that reaffirmed love, friendship and loyalty. Two pairs of lips melted into passionate kisses while stars twinkled ever so brightly in the dark sky. To the couple entangled in each others arms on a grassy knoll, everything in the world was just right.

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><p><strong>AN 2: I apologize profusely for grammar, syntactical and other such silly errors. I am the worst proof-reader on this planet, and would understand completely if you gave up and stopped reading because of my boo-boos. But if you stuck with this chapter through to the end, please do review! I would really appreciate the feedback!**


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:** My heartfelt thanks to all you lovely readers out there. I was genuinely surprised to find that people have actually read, let alone alerted, "favorited" or even reviewed my story. _

_In chapters 2 and 3, you will find out about how Blaine got on board Kurt's college plans in New York. I had originally intended for this to be one single chapter, but this monster grew wildly out of control. So I'll tease you with this for now. If you prefer to wait until both parts are up before you start reading, I'll be posting part 2 towards the end of the week. _

_Enjoy!_

Disclaimer: Don't own Glee. If I did, I'd make Wes and David my army of darkness.

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><p><strong>Ch. 2 – New York, New York! (Part 1)<strong>

_I talked to Blaine, and he's on board as well! _

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><p>Kurt noticed Rachel knit her eyebrows together right away.<p>

"But what am I going to do about Finn? I think he wants to get back together, and I really do too, but I can't have anything keep me from my Manhattan destiny!"

"Well, bring him along. He'll be great if we need to move anything heavy."

"Finn won't come," the petite brunette mourned, her face crestfallen. "He's too much of a country boy."

_Good going, idiot!_ Kurt thought to himself. _You're supposed to bond with her, not make her feel guilty about choosing career over love_.He made a mental note to have a friendly chat with his brother-from-another-mother about college plans. Still, as he led his teammate down the Manhattan streets toward the Gershwin Theater, he couldn't help but be thankful that he did not have Rachel's dilemmas.

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><p><em>Saturday before Nationals… <em>

"WESLEY ERIC NGUYEN!" David bellowed at the four figures who had just exited the sliding doors leading out of the Lima Golden Years Retirement Home. The tall African-American boy stood beside a navy blue SUV adorned with red-and-blue Dalton Academy bumper stickers. "_How_ many times do I _have_ to tell you, DO NOT load the heavy boxes on top!" He gesticulated wildly at the pile of books strewn on the ground behind the vehicle, along with a box labeled "CLOTHING" that appeared to have tumbled out of the hatch.

The short Asian boy with spiky hair stepped forward from the quartet and moved toward the mess. He threw his arm up, palm facing outward. "Ugh," he scoffed. "I don't see YOU lifting a finger to help load stuff into that car, Mr. My-dad-is-a-multimillionaire-who-designs-packaging-and-storing-units-for-a-living!" He bent down to help his friend scope books off the ground.

"Well, that's because _someone _needs to direct the loading and unloading process!" David retorted as he picked up a cellophane wrapped copy of _Little Red Riding Hood_, a vein visibly bulging from his forehead.

"Obviously, _someone _didn't do a very good job of _directing_, otherwise _this _wouldn't have happened!" Wes exclaimed in a pitch that was higher than his normal tone.

Kurt, Blaine and Finn, who had fallen a few steps behind Wes, now approached the heap. The hulky figure sporting a red and white McKinley letterman jacket nudged Kurt's shoulder and whispered, "Are those two, uh, on your team? Cuz they're super catty…"

Kurt slapped his step-brother's arm. "Okay, first of all," hissed the slender boy clad in a shimmery grey zip up jacket, "not all gay guys are catty – just me because I have to put up with your lot. And second, no – Wes and David are as straight as laser beams, although that doesn't -."

"- stop them from arguing like an old married couple," Blaine finished his boyfriend's sentence and draped his arms around both teens' shoulders. "You know guys, it amazes me those two haven't managed to kill each through four years of being roommates."

Kurt rolled his eyes and glanced at the bickering couple. He pecked the shorter boy on the cheek. "Darling, let's break up this little Wevid bitch fight, shall we?" Blaine untied the royal blue Dalton Academy hoodie from his waist and slipped it on over his head. "Sure, babe," he responded, returning the kiss.

Finn's face reddened at this little display of affection. "Come _on _guys," he whined. "You guys have all night at Dalton to be lovey-dovey. Let's get going and take Coach Sylvester's sister's things to that Salvation Army in Columbus."

Kurt tossed his head and huffed in mock indignation. "Okaaaaay, Mr. Bossy-pants! We don't want to ruin your plans to woo one Ms. Rachel Berry the rest of this afternoon, do we?" He put his fingers in his mouth and let out a sharp whistle.

"LADIES!" Kurt hollered at the arguing boys, who had just finishing dumping the remaining books into the car. "Time to go!" The pair extracted themselves from the hatch of David's SUV. Wes pushed the sleeves of his black shirt up to his elbows and wiped the beads of sweat off his forehead. He looked sheepishly at the brunette countertenor, who was tapping his foot impatiently.

"Listen guys," the McKinley quarterback spoke to the three Dalton boys. "Thanks so much for helping out…I mean, seeing as you don't know Coach Sylvester and you don't even go to McKinley. It's awfully nice of you guys." He shook their hands in turn.

"Not a problem," Wes replied. "At least this way we see more of Kurt. We missed him, and we've got big plans for him tonight."

Finn furrowed his eyebrows. "Uh…big plans? This isn't going to be like that one time when Kurt came home completely drench in bubble solution, is it?" He turned towards his brother. "I don't know, Kurt, are you sure it's safe for me to leave you with these crazies overnight? You do realize you'll have to deal with Rachel's wrath if you don't get back in time for Sunday night rehearsal?"

Kurt crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at Finn in annoyance. Wes stepped beside the towering quarterback and patted him on the shoulder. "Hmmph…crazy we might be, but at least we didn't throw a party where we let Blaine make out…with a _GIRL_!" It was Blaine's turn to glare. "Hey! I was drunk, okay? Give a guy a break, will ya?"

"Don't you worry a pretty little hair on your head, Frankenteen," Wes laughed, ignoring Blaine's remark. "We'll take good care of your Porcelain." David snickered as he recalled how the tracksuit-clad McKinley cheer coach had kept referring to his friends all day by these nicknames. "And besides," Wes continued, "these are the terms of partial custody. Kurt lives with you, but we get him one weekend a month. Isn't that right, David?" His partner-in-crime nodded, grinning from ear to ear.

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><p>A few hours later, the boys finally finished delivering Jean Sylvester's belongings to the Salvation Army donation center in Columbus. Finn drove home on his own, while the other boys continued on to Dalton Academy, singing "Raise your Glass" at the top of their lungs and laughing through the entire ride. Wes and David had invited Kurt to the dormitory for one of their weekly Saturday movie nights in the Senior Commons. Or, so Kurt thought…<p>

"SURPRISE!" A chorus of screams blasted Kurt's eardrums as his friends steered him through the oak doors leading into the elaborate chamber with tall ceilings. One of the Warblers clicked a button on the remote control he held in his hand, and the opening notes of "Empire State of Mind" blared through the surround-sound speakers. Kurt's jaw dropped when he glanced around the room. Ledger sized photos of the New York skyline, along with posters from Kurt's favorite Broadway musicals, adorned the walls where portraits of men in grey beards used to be. The giant Persian rug in the center of the room had been replaced by what looked like the New York subway system map drawn on a king sized bed sheet. A miniature model of the Brooklyn Bridge stood in front of the fireplace, and a small replica Statue of Liberty rested on the fireplace mantle. Instead of the pleated French curtains draped in front of the large bay windows, there hung an enormous banner that read, "Break a Leg in New York, Kurt!" Squinting at the banner, he noticed that it was signed by the Warblers.

"You guys!" Kurt's voice cracked as he addressed the group of singers. "This…for me? Wow…It's…It's…oh my Gaga," he squealed. "I'm speechless! You guys are amazing!" His voice broke as he tried to choke back tears of happiness. He turned around to face the three boys who had led him to this party.

"It was actually David's idea," Blaine spoke, grinning from ear to ear. His two companions nodded. "We're happy for you, Kurt," David explained through a toothy smile, "Even though you're back at McKinley, you're still an honorary Warbler, and we really wanted you to know that we still think of you as one of us. So, really, it's just like one of us is at Nationals."

"And besides," Wes added, clapping him energetically on the back, "we hope this will convince you to help us scout out good hangouts, since you're such a good spy and all." Kurt shot him a quizzical look. "You see," his friend continued, "David and I got accepted at Columbia. We're moving to New York in the fall!"

Kurt and Blaine exchanged shocked glances, and stared at the older teens. "What?" Blaine squeaked. "Oh my God! Congratulations!" He and Kurt exclaimed in unison, and both lunged forward to tackle the two senior classmen.

"You jerks!" Blaine punched David playfully in the arm, feigning indignation. "How long have you known and why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Well, we got the letters yesterday," Wes explained between giggles, "but David and I had some, er, details to figure out first before we felt we could tell you." He shifted his weight and untangled himself from the mesh of limbs. "Come on boys, the rest of the Warblers will lynch me if they don't get to spend quality time with Kurt." He tugged the sandy-haired countertenor towards the mass of cheering boys at the back of the room.

_TBC_

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><p><em>AN 2: I love Wevid bro-mance and Wevid-Klaine friendship. Sorry about the abrupt ending. More to follow, I promise.  
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	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Without further ado, I present you the conclusion of the New York, New York chapter. Thanks for reading! Up next, pre- and post-prom...

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Glee. If I did, we would all be royal servants in the United Kurtdom.

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><p><strong>Ch. 3 – New York, New York (Part II) <strong>

The evening flew by in a blur for Kurt. He never had a moment to himself, since each of the Warblers took turns regaling him with tales of their latest exploits since his transfer. His sides hurt from laughing at the recollections of epic pranks, clandestine chemistry lab experiments, and dating attempts gone wrong (dapper these boys may look, but Kurt concluded they were equally hopeless in the relationship and romance department as his New Directions friends). His heart swelled with a mix of contentment, gratitude and pride. It had taken him a long time to adjust to Dalton traditions and routines, but these private school boys had accepted him as one of their own from the very beginning. He had expected them to be upset at his decision to return to McKinley, but they supported him wholeheartedly, and this evening proved to him how much the group cared about him. He was in such popular demand at the party that it took him a while to realize that his boyfriend was conspicuously missing. Eventually he managed to excuse himself from the _a capella_ group to look for his dearest companion.

Kurt stepped out into the foyer of the dormitory, and noticed Blaine starring intensely at a framed poster of the Dalton Academy Class of 2011. Kurt's heart skipped a beat as he caught sight of his dashingly handsome boyfriend lost in reverie. Blaine had one arm crossed in front of his chest. His other elbow was resting on top of that arm, and he cradled his jaw with his palm. Kurt tiptoed behind him and tapped him gently on the shoulder.

"There you are," Kurt spoke softly, "I've been looking at you forever. Whatcha looking at?" He wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist and pulled the boy close to his chest. He rested his head on his shoulder, and nuzzled his cheek against the soft curls, drinking in the unique scent that sent shivers down his spine.

Blaine leaned into the embrace, but kept his eyes fixed on the photos of Wes and David. "Can you believe it? Wes and David, off to college next year…" His quiet voice trailed off.

Kurt rubbed smoothing patterns across the shorter boy's arms. "You're going to miss them, aren't you?" He cooed into Blaine's ear, swaying side to side.

"You know, I never really came out to those two," Blaine said, his voice barely audible. "I never said anything, and they never asked. It was like…" he paused, searching for the right expressions. "With those two, it never really mattered that I'm gay. I could have been green with horns sticking out the side of my head, but they never would have batted an eye at it. They were really the first people I had known since I first came out who made me believe I deserve to treated like a human being." He choked back a sob.

Kurt listened to his soul mate weep while rocking him gently. A pang of sympathy tugged at his heart. He knew how important the Warbler councilmen meant to the young man he held in his arms. In his short time at Dalton, he had witnessed the comraderie that defined the three school boys. He could only imagine how bittersweet the news of the duo's departure must be for Blaine. "Hmmm…they're really good guys. Darling, I'll miss them too. But they're not going to forget you, you know. You'll always be the best of friends, no matter the distance." His words were warm with a tender tone of understanding.

"You know, since you're going to miss us that much, you could always go to college with us in New York after next year." The boys cuddling by the poster turned towards the voice, and saw Wes and David emerge from around the corner.

The soon-to-be Columbia freshmen approached the couple. "We've got it all worked out," said Wes. "By the time you two move out to New York, David and I will have found an apartment for all four of us. Kurt will do the decorating, of course. But don't you guys dare get into any kinky business when we're home!"

Wes and David laughed at the expressions confusion, outrage and indignation on their friends' blushing faces. "Oh come on," David chuckled, "we knew the day we met Kurt that he'd bolt for New York the minute he graduated. You're a shoo-in for NYU's theater department, or Art Institute of New York or any design school in the city," he nodded at the taller boy, who shot him a shy look that said _oh please, don't flatter me, I'm not really that good_. "And Blainey-boy, our dear Hobbit, you KNOW you can get into any school of your choice, and besides, there's a pretty strong pipeline between Dalton and Columbia. We're just giving you extra incentives now to seal the deal and start those college applications." The two seniors bumped their fists, exchanging mischievous grins.

"You guys are unbelievable," Blaine muttered under his breath in mock annoyance. "Planning our future? Seriously, guys? You've been watching way too much reality TV!" He raised his eyebrow.

Wes and David linked arms with their younger choir mates. Wes continued, "And besides, we wouldn't dream of leaving our young grasshoppers behind, would we? Who are we going to boss around and have run our tedious errands?" Blaine shoved his elbow playfully into Wes' ribcage. "Kurt," he turned his head at his boyfriend, "what Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum mean to say is that they need us to babysit them."

"Whatever, you love us! Now, get back in there," David motioned toward the Senior Commons. "Your karaoke skills are sorely needed. I swear to god, if Thad does ANOTHER Bryan Adams song, we're going to be short a council member for what's left of this year."

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><p><em>A few hours later… <em>

Blaine was slumped in a half sitting position on his bed, leaning against Kurt's torso. The teens were looking at the laptop screen perched on top of the dresser drawer. They were humming the theme song to _How I met your Mother_ as the end credits scrolled up the screen. The Warbler surprise party was spectacular, but _this_ – cuddle time in the sanctity of Blaine's dorm room – was what Kurt had been looking forward to all evening. He chuckled softly as his slender fingers massaged the scalp under the mass of loose curls resting against his chest.

"What so funny?" Blaine smiled, turning his head up.

"Can you imagine how freakishly like _How I met your Mother_ our lives would be if we all moved to New York?" Kurt responded between giggles.

"Yeah, I know, right?" Blaine quipped. "Wes would TOTALLY be a Barney!"

"Yes! We'd all live in stylish loft style apartments, get coffee and bagels from the same little café, and we'd be hang out in some unnamed bar somewhere in our free time, or in each other's apartments, or we'd -"

"I think I'd like that…" Blaine said softly, gazing tenderly at his boyfriend.

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "What was that now Blaine Warbler? I thought you fantasized about living in a Disney movie, not in some cheesy sitcom narrated by Bob Saget?" He teased affectionately.

The older teen sat up and swung himself around to face Kurt. "No, I mean I liked to move to New York after high school. For college. With you."

The younger boy's jaw dropped to his chest for the second time that night, but only for a brief second. _Of course he must be joking, right?_ Kurt contemplated meaning behind his companion's words. He had once told Blaine about his dreams to go to college in New York and then try to make a career there. But that had been a long time ago, way before they became romantically involved. His idol never spoke explicitly about his post high school plans, but Kurt always assumed that he would end up at an Ivy school. Anyway, they still had all of senior year left, and who knows what could happen between now and then? _He couldn't possibly be planning their future – together – already, that would be ridiculous…right?_

The room became suddenly silence as the music on the laptop stopped playing. Finally, Blaine broke the ice. He drew in a deep breath.

"I'm serious, Kurt." He spoke, the clarity of his voice echoing in the room. "I've thought about it, you know. Even before Wes and David mentioned it today."

Kurt's heart thumped soundly in his chest. _Do I need to check my hearing? Did he say he was serious? _"You want to go to college with me?" He squeaked, oxygen unable to reach his lungs. He felt lightheaded, and his eyes were wide with shock at Blaine's frank admission.

Blaine nodded, wearing a contemplative look on his face. "I know that it's a big decision, and college still seems so far away. But, the future is important, and I want to start planning for it."

"The future…wow," Kurt quivered. It hit him just then how real their relationship had become in the past few months. He had simply been over the moon that he had a boyfriend – gorgeous, charming, kind, and most importantly, a boyfriend who existed in the flesh, not as a figment of his imagination. Now, _this_ boyfriend was sitting before his very eyes telling him that he wanted to plan for the future – _their_ future – together. "You really see us together after high school?"

"Kurt, I don't know what I have to say to convince you." Blaine grasped Kurt's hands and laced their fingers together. "There's a lot about the future that's undetermined, but the one thing I'm sure of is that all I see is you and me together, no matter where we go. We share so much, Kurt, and I don't want to ever give this up. I want to be with you, for as long as you'll have me."

"Me too, I want to be with you as long as you want me. I wouldn't have it any other way. But, Blaine, are you sure? I mean, there's Harvard, and Yale, and what about all those big universities in Europe? I don't want you to limit yourself on account of me. I don't want to hold you back from _your_ dreams."

"No, I won't be holding myself back. Columbia is just as prestigious as any other Ivy League schools, and even if I don't get in there, there are tons of good colleges in the New York area, and I'd be just as happy to go to any of them. Anyway, who I am is defined by so much more than what college I go to," Blaine spoke, his voice steady with determination. "It's been tough the last few weeks having to cross school district boundaries to see each other, and I don't want to have to cross state boundaries to see you too. I'm not saying that we need to move in together right away, although I think eventually that would be nice. This doesn't sound too creepy or clingy, does it? You've been such an important part of my life, and I just can't imagine being apart from you. I know that you've been dreaming of New York since you were a kid, and I'm on board too, if this is what you really –"

Kurt did not let Blaine finish his sentence. He cradled the back of Blaine's head in his hand and pulled the boy's lips firmly to his own. The fair-skinned boy felt Blaine's body fly to his like a magnet pulled by a force field. Kurt felt his mind soar as they wrapped their arms around each other. They melted into a fervent kiss, tongues massaging each other's, raspy moans escaping from their throats. Finally, the need for oxygen overcame the passion that coursed through their veins. They pressed their foreheads together.

"So, I take that as a yes?" Blaine teased, his nose nuzzling against soft, vanilla scented skin.

"Yes yes yes, of course," Kurt smiled, flopping down on the bed and pulling Blaine to his chest. "I want it. I really do. I know a lot of people say that high school relationships don't really last, and even if a couple makes it through to college together, they usually end up breaking up by the end of the first semester because things change so much once they leave home. But you know what? That's not going to be us."

Kurt pressed Blaine's hands to his lips. "That's not going to be us," he repeated confidently, "because we are so much more. To be honest, sometimes the future really scares me. There's just so much that you simply can't plan for. But you know what? I won't have to be afraid as long as we help each other through. You're my best friend before we became boyfriends, and I want the chance to grow with you."

The couple cuddled in the comforting quiet for a few minutes before Kurt spoke again.

"And you know what? There's another reason why we need to go to New York," the slender boy prompted.

"Oh?"

"Wes and David. In New York. With no adult supervision. The potential for disaster is terrifying. Someone has to keep the world safe from the destructive force of the Wevid, right?"

The pair giggled late into the night at the thought of their friends' potentially riotous escapades. They fell asleep with visions of a future together etched in their minds .


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N: **Once again, a big thank you to readers and reviewers, old and new, for continuing to support this little beast of a fic. Here's another two parter coming your way. This is the first part of the Prom Queen episode. _

_**Disclaimer: **Don't own Glee, its characters, or its plots. If I did, the show would not be as fabulous as it is._

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><p><strong>Ch. 4 – Much Ado about Kilts<strong>

_If you don't want to join me, I completely understand. _

Blaine watched in frustration as Kurt spun on his heels and retreated upstairs. He turned to Finn, giving him a look that asked, how often does he do this? The gangly boy slumped in the couch simply shrugged.

"Kurt!" Blaine called out in vain, as the footsteps trailed off. Blaine lauched himself off the couch and sprung up the stairs two steps at a time to Kurt's room. The door was closed.

"Kurt," he pleaded, knocking on the door. "Can you please let me in? Let me explain."

The door slowly creaked open. Kurt's expressionless face greeted the short, curly haired teen standing at the doorway. Blaine gulped. To be honest, he wasn't sure which was worse: angry Kurt, or expressionless Kurt. He had a feeling that with angry Kurt, he would at least know where he stood. The expressionless version of his boyfriend, however, was much more difficult to deal with because he had no idea what might set him off on a tirade.

The tall, sandy haired boy had already changed out of his homemade kilt and jacket, and both items of clothing were laid out carefully on his work table next to the sewing machine. "Look, I'm not mad at you, Blaine. You're scared because of what happened to you before. I get that," he state impassively, but then paused for a moment.

"No, you know what? I take that back. I _am_ a little mad at you," he resumed his speech, raising his voice slightly. "I shouldn't be but I can't help it. I'm really proud of my outfit, but then dad has to go and shit on my parade, and you just _had_ to side with him. So what, you two think that by wanting to look my best I'm _asking_ to be beat up?" he queried accusingly.

Blaine reached out to stroke the other boy's arm. "Kurt, you know that's not what I meant," he spoke repentantly. It wasn't that he didn't like the way the nymph-like boy looked in his kilt. He heart had fluttered when he first took sight of his teenage dream twirling around in his outfit. Those leggings wore – or were they just _really_ tight pants? – accentuated the muscular curve of those slender legs, and sparked all kinds of undapper thoughts in his mind. He was only brought out of that fantasy and grounded to the reality of small town Ohio by Burt's reprimand. _Cautious._ _Practical_. Those adjectives ended up sticking the most in Blaine's thoughts.

"But that's sure what it sounds like to me."

Blaine opened his mouth and started to apologized, but stopped himself before any words came out. He pulled his arm away from his boyfriend as his annoyance at this whole situation began to turn into something darker. _What __**is**__ his problem?_ He thought to himself as he began to lose his cool. _It's just stupid prom. Why does he insist on being such a drama queen?_ His next words tumbled out of his mouth before he had a chance to process them.

"Why are you throwing such a hissy fit at me? Can't you just be satisfied that I already said I'd go to this thing with you?" he yelled, the remorseful tone in his voice now gone. "Geez, Kurt, you don't have to turn everything into a grand statement. Didn't you say that if the idea of prom was uncomfortable for me you'd be happy to take in a movie? What happened to being supportive, huh?"

Blaine watched as Kurt clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. "You know what, Blaine? Now, _that's_ not fair. I said that because I thought it was the idea of prom itself that traumatized you. But that's not, is it?" The normally pale skinned boy began to redden as he spat out his words. "You're all too happy as to go to our prom, and be in the limelight on stage. You just don't want to go if you have to be seen with someone wearing something out of the ordinary. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were ashamed of me."

Blaine's muscles tensed at the shrill of his best friend's voice. The malicious look in those blue-green eyes, which normally gave him a sense of comfort, was more than he can bear. _Who is he, to accuse __**me, **__of all people, of being insensitive? _"Kurt, Don't you dare say- "

The angry countertenor cut him off. "Forget it, just forget it. You've made your choice and I've made mine. Maybe you should just go home." Kurt moved towards Blaine, forcing the shorter boy to step back until he was back at the threshold to the room. "I've got a lot of work to do on this outfit, and you don't seem too keen on it so I wouldn't want you to get bored watching me accessorize this suit," Kurt stated coldly, his hand on the door as if ready to slam it shut in his boyfriend's face.

Blaine starred in stunned silence. Kurt's words had stung. He didn't think he was out of line in suggesting that Kurt dressed more conservatively for prom. He had, after all, been roughed up before for going to a dance with another gay kid. Why couldn't Kurt just understand that's the way these things worked? Why did he always have to push his boundaries? Fighting tears of anger, he stormed down the stairs.

"Hey dude," Finn caught Blaine by the shoulders as he was about to thunder out the door. "Sorry you and Kurt fought. It didn't sound good up there…"

"I hate prom." Blaine muttered, looking down at his toes. His body twitched, seething with rage.

"Me too, man, me too. I'm going to go shoot some hoops. Wanna join? You know, blow off some steam and all?"

"Hmmmm," Blaine paused, glancing up at the massive teen. He thought about the offer for a moment. He had planned to spend the most of the evening with Kurt, but since the diva was obviously not speaking to him anymore, he realized he suddenly had a lot of free time. "Okay, thanks for the offer. I suppose I could use a good workout."

Two hours later, the boys had worked up a sweat at the basketball court down the street. Instead of thinking about the argument he just had with Kurt, Blaine threw his angst into every jump shot he took. Finn was much larger than him, but he was swifter on his feet, and he used that to his advantage in his one-on-one friendly challenge with the hulking teen. He felt good, having released his fury into vigorous exercise. Eventually though, he had to head back to Dalton, so he and Finn walked back to the Hudson-Hummel residence to retrieve his car.

"It's going to be okay, you know that, right?" Finn said suddenly.

"Excuse me?"

"Prom. You and Kurt going together. Nothing bad is going to happen, because we're not going to let it happen. Me, Puck, and the rest of the Glee gang – we got your back," Finn explained. "I talked to Coach Beist. She's on hallway patrol. She promised that anyone who so much as looks at you two the wrong way is off the team. Coach Sylvester is going to chaperone, and she likes Kurt for some reason. Nothing could possibly go wrong. You'll be safe, okay? You don't have to worry about a thing."

Blaine turned to stare at the massive football player and offered a weak smile. He was surprised and touched by Finn's concern for his and Kurt's safety.

"And can I be honest with you?" the larger boy prompted in an unusually soft tone that did not quite match his size.

Blaine nodded, giving him permission to continue.

"I know Kurt can be melodramatic sometimes. Okay, maybe a lot times. But I don't think he's unreasonable this time. He's _really_ been looking forward to prom, and dressing up is a big part of it," Finn stated emphatically.

Blaine shot the boy a puzzled look. "Wait, why are you talking about this? I thought you hated prom."

Finn cringed, furrowing his eyebrows. "I do, but that's because Quinn's going all crazy scary with her Prom Queen obsession," he explained. He looked away from Blaine for a moment, bouncing the basketball on the sidewalk as he sauntered down the street. "It's not fun for me anymore because prom's become her stupid popularity contest. But with Kurt it's different. It's not about being prom queen, it's not about some popularity contest, it's not about pushing people's buttons like Burt said. It's about him being able to go to the event of the year in his best outfit and having a good time." He continued, this time meeting Blaine's eyes.

"Yeah, I get that but Finn, you have to realize this is Ohio, not New York or San Francisco where these things are normal. We live among a bunch of homophobes, and we have to live with the reality of that," Blaine sighed, staring at the ground. His words were not so much an explanation to Finn as a justification to himself. He _thought _he was in the right, so why was it so hard to convince himself of that?

Blaine heard a chuckle escape from the figure marching next to him. "Hey, you know what, bro, I said almost the exact same thing to Kurt last year when he tried to decorate our room," Finn recounted. "But living with Kurt all these months, it's made me realize how wrong that is. How wrong it is that you feel like you have to hide yourself, and try to blend in just to avoid getting your asses kicked. It's _just not fair_." His voice punched at the last three words.

"I could show up for prom in my football jersey and letterman jacket and nobody would bat an eye at it. Santana can show up looking like a hooker, and everyone would totally be down with that. So why can't Kurt go to prom wearing something that he likes, like any other kid would do?" Finn wondered aloud, a tone of resentment in his voice. "I can't accept that. Not after all he's been through. Yes, the homophobes will still be there. They will want to cause trouble. But that's why the rest of us are going to be there for you, because there's no way I'm going to let those Neanderthals ruin prom for Kurt."

Finn stopped walking and placed a hand gingerly on Blaine's shoulder. "Look, it's obvious that Kurt thinks the world of you, and I think it would mean so much to him if you would support him for this one. I know, I know. Not my place to meddle in your relationship. But just think about what I said, okay?" He urged, looking down at the hobbit-like figure.

Blaine scrunched up his face at Finn's "lecture." The way the football player put it, it kind of made sense. He hated admitting it, but he could not suppress his own intuition that the jock made some good points. His felt his face go warm, this time in frustration that he had failed to assess the wholes situation from Kurt's point of view before he yelled at the one person in the world whose opinion mattered most to him. Still, it was a lot to take in.

The Warbler lead singer and the New Directions co-captain walked in silence the rest of the way. When Blaine approached his car, he finally acknowledge what the other boy said. "Thanks, Finn. I guess I have a lot to think about." he said, patting the larger boy gently on the back. He nagging voice in the back of his head told him that he needed to make things right with Kurt. The question is, how?

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><p><strong>AN 2:** This chapter was much harder for me to write than I had anticipated. The episode left me with so many thoughts about gender and sexuality that I found it difficult to do any of these issues justice. Questions or comments? Feel free to leave a review or PM!


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: **My dear, loyal readers and reviewers, sorry for making you wait. I got sidetracked this week by THE LIVE KLISS OF THE CENTURY! HP7 Part 2 premier, and the CrissColfer non-interview riot on Tumblr. Here is is, Part 2 of my Prom Queen outtakes. Read, Enjoy, Review!_

_**Disclaimer:** Nope, don't own Glee. If I did, all the Warblers would wear kilts. Just saying._

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><p><strong>Ch.5 - Accessories<strong>

A morose Kurt sat in the Glee room, sketching kilt accessories in his notebook while waiting for rehearsal to start. He was glad that today was not one of the days when he had an after school coffee date scheduled with Blaine. He simply was not in the mood. He was rather angry at Blaine for not being one hundred percent supportive about his prom outfit. But more importantly he was angry at himself for letting this get to him. He knew it was just a stupid dance. Still, it had stung that his boyfriend was so quick to just…abandon him. He pulled an eraser from his messenger bag and rather too vigorously rubbed off one of his drawings.

"Hiya Kurt!" Brittany bounded into the room and plopped herself in the seat next to him, flinging her long legs across his lap. The blonde eyed the brunet.

"Why the long face, boo? How come you're not sexting with your dolphin? Aren't you excited about prom? It's just a few days away!" She chirped, trying to get the boy to perk up.

Kurt would normally have blushed at the suggestion that he and Blaine were sending unwholesome text messages to each other, but he simply frowned. "Because, Brit, my dolphin would rather not be seen at prom with someone wearing a kilt," he muttered under his breath

"Of course he wouldn't, silly!" The former cheerleader giggled. "He'd rather be seen with you."

The brunet shook his head at her. "No, Brits, I'm the someone wearing a kilt. It's my outfit for prom. See?" He pointed to his sketches.

"That outfit is fabulous! You'll look fantastic!" The leggy blonde squealed, clapping her hands together delightfully. When she looked up at Kurt's sunken eyes, her smile faded. "Oh." Silence.

Kurt squeezed the tears away from his eyes and slumped in his seat. "I just want to have a prom like everyone's. Why does it have to be so hard?" His voice wavered as he spoke.

"Did you and Blaine Warbler have a fight about it?" Brittany asked quietly. Kurt nodded, picking at a loose thread from his scarf.

"I'm sorry, boo," Brittany sighed. She rested her head on his shoulder. "It's tough when your dolphin doesn't want to be as brave as you are. But don't be mad at him forever. He'll come around soon."

Kurt folded his arms in front of his chest. A pained look came across his face. _But what if he doesn't? _His mind raced through all those times the well groomed private school boy had emphasized blending in. Their sectionals audition conversation rang in his ears: don't try so hard to stand out. Until Kurt transferred back to McKinley, the boys spent most of their time together at Dalton, and rarely saw each other in something other than the navy blazers. But now that they were spending more time together, out of uniform and in public, Kurt wondered whether Blaine was uncomfortable being seen with him in his flashy outfits most of the time.

"How are you so sure of this?"

Brittany stroked Kurt's arm gently. "Because he's just afraid. He's afraid of what everyone else will think, he's afraid they might say bad things about you. But I see the way he looks at you and he adores you and because of that I think he'll find a way to be brave like you are. Just like Santana will too. Someday." The blonde's voice softened at the mention of her best friend.

Kurt gave her a knowing smile and clasped his other hand on hers. "Thanks, Brit," he whispered. "I hope you're right."

Blaine, still dressed in his Dalton uniform, sat in his car at the McKinley parking lot. He stared at the message he had typed out in his phone fifteen minutes ago.

**I'm in the parking lot. Meet me out here? **

He took a deep breath. _Well, here goes_. He thumb pressed the send button. He leaned forward in his seat and let his head fall into his hands. His body felt limp, and his head hurt from having barely slept the past two nights. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see in his mind was the way Kurt had looked when he threw him out of the room. His fair skin had turned an extra shade paler, and lines had burrowed across his forehead. But what he remembered the most, and hated the most, was the way Kurt's azure colored eyes flashed disappointment. The boys had not really spoken to each other since their fight two days ago. They had exchanged the obligatory "How was school today" types of text messages, but neither had anything to say to each other beyond the formalities. Blaine rubbed his temples to sooth his throbbing headache. This was his first real fight with Kurt since they started dating, and he _hated_ it. He hoped that what he had planned would get his boyfriend to forgive him.

Blaine was jolted from his thoughts by a knock on his window. He looked out at sapphire eyes peering down at him. He smiled, exhaled and motioned for the other boy to climb into the passenger seat. Kurt scurried around the front of car to take his spot.

"Blaine? Don't you have Warbler rehearsal today?" Kurt threw the blazer clad boy a puzzled glance.

"I skipped. I wanted to see you," Blaine replied breathily. He pulled Kurt to him and pressed a chaste kiss to his forehead.

"Oh…"

Blaine's heart beat a little faster. _Is that a good or bad, "Oh…"? Please, please, please let it be good..._

"But first let's get out of this parking lot and go somewhere a bit more…private, okay?"

Kurt eyed him for a brief second before nodding in acknowledgement.

Ten minutes later Blaine was leading Kurt by the hand to his favorite spot in a nearby park. He tugged boy toward a little wooden gazebo several yards away from a duck pond. He leaned back against the railing and pulled his boyfriend in front of him.

"Kurt, I am really sorry about the other day," Blaine spoke quietly. "I really did not mean to make you feel like I'm ashamed to be seen with you. I'm not. I want the world to know we're together. I really do."

Blaine saw Kurt's eyes flicker. The taller boy opened his mouth to say something, but Blaine continued to speak.

"I got something for you. To make up for me being a jerk to you," he said as he reached into his blazer pocket. He pulled out a small brown leather pouch and handed it to Kurt.

He watched Kurt held the pouch flat in his palm. The fashion conscious boy brushed his thumb across the leather. The pouch looked gently used. It had an intricate knot pattern imprinted across the flap. Kurt flipped the flap up to inspect the sinewy draw string that closed the pouch.

"It's, um, it's called a sporran, it's a pouch you wear around your waist so you can keep your wallet and things," Blaine explained tentatively. "I tried my best to describe your outfit to the old guy who owns the Celtic novelty store in Columbus, and he said this would be perfect accessory for it. I hope you like it?" He gave his boyfriend smile that pleaded forgiveness.

"Kurt, baby, I _want_ to go with you to prom. _Especially_ when you're wearing an outfit as amazing as the one you've designed," Blaine emphasized, reaching out to stroke Kurt's cheek. "You looked so dashingly handsome in your suit. I just in my moment of weakness didn't get around to telling you that, but I should have. I've always admired how you're able to own your look, and that's not going to change."

Blaine saw the corners of Kurt's mouth turn up into a sweet smile. He breathed a sigh of relief. _This is so worth scouring all of Columbus for the one Celtic novelty store. _

"Really? You're sure about this?" Kurt asked, his azure eyes gazing intently into hazel ones.

Blaine nodded. He reached his arms around Kurt's slender waist and pulled the boy closer. He felt the comforting warmth of the slim body. He felt better already, knowing that he was getting somewhere with the reconciliation.

"I am not going to lie to you. I am terrified of prom," Blaine said contemplatively. "I am afraid of what the bullies will say to us, do to us. But you're right. Prom is a high school rite of passage, and we have every right as everyone else to enjoy it on our own terms. So yeah, if that means facing my fears, then so be it. I'm just really sorry that I was such a downer on your outfit before."

Blaine felt Kurt's hands wrap around his own. Kurt squeezed his hand firmly.

"Thank you, Blaine. This means a lot to me," Kurt said softly. "And I'm sorry I blew up at you like that. I understand how tough this is for you, and I should have been more considerate of your feelings, with all that you've been through at your first school dance."

Blaine pressed a soft kiss to Kurt's ruby lips and looked up into those shining eyes.

"So, does this mean you forgive me?"

"Of course, babe," Kurt replied tenderly. "You didn't need forgiving in the first place." He wrapped his arms around Blaine's shoulder in a tight embrace.

"Hey, Kurtie?"

"Hmm?"

"Some day, when you're ruling the fashion industry, I'll be able to say that I was Kurt Hummel's date when he wore his first design."

Kurt pulled away and punched his boyfriend playfully in the chest. "Well, then, you're lucky I chose you to be my prom date, aren't you?"

TBC

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><p><strong>AN 2:** Erm, you know how I said my take on the Prom Queen episode was going to be a two-parter? Okay, I lied. This puppy ran away from me again and it's now a three parter. There's still the after-dance left. Will update as soon as I can. Please forgive me if this litle fillert too much of a disappointment for you.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Okay, here's my ending to the Prom Queen episode. BTW, I had no idea what I was doing here, but I just really wanted to get Prom from Blaine's point of view.

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own Glee. If I did, there would be a Klaine skit in every episode.**  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Ch. 6 - Redemption <strong>

_You couldn't face up to the bullies at your old school, so you can do it at mine! We can do it together!_

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><p>Blaine eyes darted nervously around the room. Rachel's rendition of Jar of Hearts blared over the sound system and couples paired off on the dance floor, swaying to the slow tempo. He glanced at Kurt, who was standing by the refreshment stand, gulping down a glass of lemonade. He looked down at his feet when Kurt finished his drink and set his glass down on the table.<p>

_For the love of god, just ask him to dance already – you know he want to slow dance. _

The short, olive skinned boy in a simple but elegant tux scanned the room again. He focused his attention to on the bulky guys who he assumed must be the football players.

No.

Blaine ached to feel his boyfriend's warm body pressed against him, and breathe in the soft vanilla scent of his moisturizer, but the memory of his last time at a public school dance still haunted him. Knuckles making contact with his face, his date pinned helplessly to the ground in an empty parking lot. Cries of that hated three-letter word rang in his ears. Visions of Kurt being knocked to the floor invaded his frantic mind. He could practically feel the elbows that would inevitably make contact with his skull by "accident," just the same as it had happened with the jocks at his old school. He had been fine with prom, but so far he had only danced with Kurt when they were in a group with the rest of the glee kids. _This_ was different.

No. He just couldn't.

His feet remained glued to the floor, and every muscle in his body clenched when the dashingly handsome brunet in the sleek studded suit jacket and kilt stepped towards him. Kurt laid his hand gently on Blaine's forearm. Looking up, Blaine was met with a pair of warm blue-green eyes that gleamed with sympathy.

"You're having flashbacks about your Sadie Hawkins dance, aren't you?" Kurt asked gently, a hint of sadness in his voice. Blaine nodded.

"It's okay. We can sit this one out," Kurt said, offering him a sympathetic smile. "I know how tough this is for you, and it means the world to me that you're here with me."

Blaine felt slender fingers brush the back of his hand, and both boys survey the gaudily decorated gym.

"Isn't it great that the prom is so inclusive this year?" Kurt said, eyeing Becky, the girl with Down's syndrome, and her date.

"Someone for everyone," Blaine shrugged.

"Even if it's a lie," Kurt quipped dryly, nodding towards Santana and Karofsky.

"And now, the 2011 McKinley High Prom Queen, with an overwhelming number of write-in votes, is…Kurt Hummel."

Blaine felt the floor disappear from under his feet. A alarming feeling of weightlessness washed over him, and his stomach felt like it had plunged down twenty floors. Glaring lights and colours swirled around him. He turned to see a stone cold look on his boyfriend's ghostly pale face.

_.Fuck. _

Without a word, Kurt bolted towards the gym exit. Blaine tore after him.

_Those sons of bitches!_

"Kurt! Wait! Just stop!"

They careened into the hallway. Blaine's heart wrench at the sound of Kurt's uncontrollable sobs. He felt like all the oxygen had been sucked out of his lungs, and his body shuddered at the sight of Kurt pacing angrily up and down the hallway. The tone of despair in that beautiful boy's voice as he cried about his naïveté shook Blaine to the core. He tried several times, quite unsuccessfully, to pull the broken boy into his arms. He watched helplessly as Kurt continued his frantic pacing up and down the hallway, his slender frame shaking violently.

"I'm not going back there, there's no way," Kurt muttered to himself repeatedly. Blaine wanted to be strong for Kurt, but finally, he couldn't hold up his bravado. He knew he should probably be angry at the cruelty that the imbeciles at this school had inflicted up his best friend, but the sharp stabbing pangs in his chest overwhelmed him. He slumped against the cold, grey lockers and slid to the floor. Seeing Kurt so emotionally distraught just left him feeling drained, and it took every ounce of his willpower to fight away the tears.

"Would you at least sit down?" Blaine finally pleaded after a few minutes.

No response. Kurt's feet continued to clatter against the tiled floor.

"Do you want to go? We don't have to go back in there," Blaine said gently, trying to hold Kurt's attention.

After what seemed like an eternity, Kurt's frantic pacing finally slowed down.

"Wasn't this prom supposed to be about redemption? About taking away that lump in your throat from running away?"Kurt spoke quietly. "If we leave all it's going to do is give me a lump too."

Blaine looked up and saw Kurt straightening up, clenching his fists.

"So what do you want to do?"

Kurt's chest heaved as he glanced down the hallway.

"I'm going to go back in there and get coronated," Kurt announced, a resilient tone creeping into his voice.

Blaine felt the oxygen fill his lungs slowly as he finally remembered to breathe. He glanced up at Kurt, and looked into a set of eyes that flashed with determination.

"I'm going to show them that it doesn't matter if they're yelling at me, or whispering behind my back, they can't touch me. They can't touch us." Kurt affirmed tenaciously, kneeling in front of Blaine. "Or what we have."

The corners of Blaine's mouth turned up ever so slightly. He felt his heart pumping again as he looked at the sight before him. The gorgeous boy still had tears rolling down his cheeks, but he looked strangely serene. His body no longer quivered, and his stare was firm with resolve. The way Kurt held his head high made Blaine's heart flutter.

The older boy reached into his pocket for a pack of tissues and offered it to Kurt. He stood up and held out his hand to the boy who was wiping the tears from his face.

"You ready for this?" Blaine prompted. Kurt clasped his hands and pulled himself up. In this deserted hallway, Blaine wanted nothing more than to envelope this boy in his arms. He wished they could lose themselves in each other's warmth and just let go of all their tensions. He was afraid, though, that the minute their bodies made contact with each other he would break down. In the end, he simply clamped his hands on Kurt's shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze.

"Let's go show the world what Kurt Hummel is made of!"

Blaine made his way to the front of the crowd just in time to see Karofsky abandon Kurt on the dance floor for the Prom King and Queen Dance. The sight of the boy in the outfit standing alone and looking forlorn tugged at his heart once again. Forgetting all his apprehension, he stepped out onto the dance floor.

_Now or never…_Kurt needed him now, and he was determined not to disappoint.

"Excuse me, may I have this dance?" Blaine asked resolutely, trying to muster up as much confidence as possible. He stood up a little straighter and held his arm out towards Kurt.

Turning around to face the voice that had asked that question, a slow smile spread across Kurt's face.

"Why, yes you may."

As if he had been born for this very purpose, Blaine pulled Kurt into a classic dance hold. The panic he had felt earlier that evening melted away when his eyes met Kurt's sparkling blue ones. He rocked to the beat of "Dancing Queen." The rest of the Glee Club soon took to the dance floor a few moments later, spinning and bopping their way around the couple. Eventually, the boys broke apart to form a dance circle with the rest of New Directions. Blaine reveled in the moment as he and Kurt danced to a few more upbeat songs with this endearingly dysfunctional little family.

"Last song! Boys and girls this is for all you love birds out there," Puck's voice boomed over the sound system. The slow, melodic strum of guitars hung in the air, and the noise in the crowded gym diminished to a murmur.

Kurt glanced quickly around the room and looked hesitantly at Blaine. Once more, Blaine reached out and pulled his boyfriend in to his arms.

"You didn't think I'd let you leave Prom without a proper slow dance now, did you?" Blaine whispered into Kurt's ears. He rested his head on the taller boy's chest. Feeling Kurt's breath on his skin, Blaine sang along with the music.

'_Cause it's you and me, and all of the people  
>with nothing to do, nothing to lose.<br>And it's you and me and all other people  
>and I don't know why, I can't keep my eyes off of you. <em>

Blaine titled his head up to admire the warm blue eyes that smiled down at him. He felt Kurt's heart thump, making him swoon. Gazing up at such a stunning sight, Blaine felt a surge of emotion course through his body. He realized something. When he first met Kurt, he had told that boy with the sad smile to have courage. As it turned out, Kurt was one who had more than enough courage to live by his own principles in a world that was determined to crush him for it. Right then and there, Blaine resolved to step out of his zero-tolerance policy cocoon at Dalton, and face the real world with Kurt. Smiling to himself, Blaine held on tightly to the one person who could help him find his own courage.

* * *

><p>Well? Was it a total train wreck? There's something I want to do with the Rumours episode, but I'm not sure if it will work. Well, we'll find out next time I update...Thanks for sticking with me so far!<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **My head canon for the Rumours episode. Really more a drabble than anything else, behing cause a) they boys won't tell me anything more, and b) I am still in mourning over no Chris in S4. *waaaaah* 

**Disclaimer: **Don't own Glee. If I did, Kurt would fail senior year six years in a row because I can't face the reality of our lovely bb Chris Colfer leaving the show after S3. **  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Ch. 7 - Drama Free<strong>

_Oh, Rachel. How I've missed your insanity. _

* * *

><p>Blaine rolled around on his bedroom door, clutching his stomach and kicking at the air.<p>

"It's not _that_ funny," Kurt commented with a roll of his eyes.

"I c-c-can't b-believe…" Blaine sputtered, laughing so hard his face was turning purple. "They thought…you? Cheating? W-with S-Sam?"

Kurt sat on the floor across from his flailing boyfriend, clutching his knees to his chest. He had just finished recounting New Directions' recent drama, including Finn and Rachel's misguided stake out and their wild assumptions about the nature of Sam's motel meetings with Quinn and Kurt. He shot Blaine a flabbergasted look.

"Oh, come on!" Blaine said, finally catching his breath. "You and the Ken doll type? That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. No offense, but you guys in New Directions are crazy."

"Well, um," Kurt muttered, his face turning red. "It isn't that crazy for them to believe it since I stalked Sam like the paparazzi when he first joined glee club. I told you about that, remember?"

Back when Kurt had first met Blaine, he had told his friend-mentor all about his initial attempts to test Sam. Blaine had understood right away. He understood how exactly how it felt to want to have another gay kid around, someone he might actually have a chance with. Kurt had also told him how Sam had never judged him, how he was still willing to duet with him even if it cost him his popularity, and how he had stood up to Karofsky on his behalf. Saturday afternoon shortly before Kurt transferred back to McKinley, when Sam showed up at Dalton delivering pizza to the Warblers' for their movie marathon, Blaine understood exactly why Kurt felt it was so important to help his old choir mate

"Well, I think it's really great that you're helping him out, and that you're not letting the rest of the glee club pry into Sam's life," Blaine said to Kurt with a tone of admiration. He crawled across the floor and sat up next to Kurt.

"It's none of their business," Kurt said quietly. "And I just feel so bad for him. I'm just so annoyed that Rachel, Finn and the rest of those rumor mongers insist on making a big deal out of this, all because of their petty jealousies and insecurities."

Blaine patted Kurt's knee and rested his head on the boy's shoulder.

"You know what, Kurt?"

"Hmph?"

"I'm glad we don't have that kind of drama," Blaine said softly, looking up at Kurt's shining blue eyes. "It' just so…nice. We're just us, and we trust each other completely. I really like that. The world throws so much bullshit at us for being who we are, and it's just so good to know that we're each other's anchors, no matter how crazy or how hard life can get."

Kurt met Blaine's gaze and stroked his cheek.

"I couldn't agree more."

* * *

><p><strong>AN 2:** Thanks for sticking with me so far. I apparently have to be a responsible adult over the weekend and meet some of my long neglected deadlines, so I'm afraid I won't be able to update again until next week. Don't you worry though. Born This Way is brewing in my head canon. For now, I gotta gay...go, I gotta go.


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N:** Wow...you're still reading? I love you all. Sorry for making you wait so long for this one, but here is the next installment. This one and at least the next one cover the Night of Neglect and Born this Way episodes.  
><em>

_**Disclaimer:** Don't own Glee. If I did, Lord Tubbington would be an official guest star in every episode.  
><em>

* * *

><p><strong>Ch. 8 - Selfish<strong>_  
><em>

_You miss them, don't you? _

* * *

><p>"You move…"<p>

"Hmph. No…YOU move. I'm comfy and you're on top of me."

Kurt poked at the warm body straddled around him. The body simply responded by clutching him tighter.

In the abandoned Dalton Seniors' Common, Kurt and Blaine lost themselves in frantic, passionate kisses. Their entangled limbs dangled off the edge of the couch, and they were wrapped so tightly around each that it looked as if they were molded together. Blaine grabbed the back of Kurt's head and pressed their lips together. Kurt slipped his tongue out, letting it caress Blaine's soft lips while his fingers massaged Blaine's scalp. Blaine moaned as he tasted Kurt's flesh. Finally, the boys had to pull apart to replenish the oxygen supply in their lungs.

"Grrrr…I suppose we should get going to Warbler practice, shouldn't we?" Blaine muttered into Kurt's ear.

"Uh huh. But you need to get off me first."

Blaine dislodged himself from Kurt's lap, picked up his blazer from and slung it over his shoulder. Kurt stood up, straightened his navy Dalton issue cardigan and ran a hand through his hair. He looked at his watch.

"Shit…we're late. Wes is so gonna kill us."

"Come on, I know a shortcut," Blaine giggled, extending a hand to Kurt, whose lips had spread into a devilish grin.

The boys skipped hand in hand down the hallway to the Warbler room. They were greeted by a look of annoyance Wes shot at them from his place at the Warbler Council table.

"Well, well, now, how nice of our lovebirds to finally grace us with their presence," Wes announced to the group, wielding his gavel at the two boys who had just entered the room. "You're 10 minutes late," he huffed.

"Too busy making out, were ya?" someone hollered from the back of the room, followed by a few cat calls. Kurt and Blaine blushed as they made their way to their spots.

"Okay, guys settle down," David said, grabbing he gavel from his co-councilman and banging it on the table. "All right, the Warbler Council has decided on song choices and lead singers for the Westerville Seniors' Center show this Saturday."

Wes took over the speech as the room quieted down. "I know that a few of you are still disappointed that we didn't win at Regionals, but let's just be proud that we made it this far. Remember, guys, this was our first Regionals appearance in seven years." A few heads nodded in agreement.

"So, let's use this gig as a way to celebrate what a year we've had, and look forward to next year for those of us who will still be here."

"Now, as for musical numbers," David announced, "the council has decided to let some new people take leads. Nick, Jeff, you'll each perform your audition pieces from back at sectionals." He nodded at a small dark haired boy seated on the couch in the middle of the room and the tall blond next to him.

"We'll follow that with two group numbers - our cover of If I Had a Million Dollars and Lady Madonna. And last but not least, since Kurt and Blaine are just _so damn adorable_ together, let's have them wrap up with their Candles du-" David had not even finished his sentence before the room erupted in enthusiastic hoots. Blaine flashed an ear to ear grin at a blushing Kurt, who returned the smile meekly.

As the group rehearsed their numbers, Blaine kept his gaze fixed on Kurt. The countertenor sounded pitch perfect as usual, but Blaine could not help but notice something amiss in Kurt's singing. His notes hung in the air but did not soar. His tone was consistent but did not electrify. Slowly, the reason occurred to Blaine as he recalled the events from a few nights ago.

He remembered the look of longing in Kurt's eyes the night they had attended New Directions' benefit concert. He recalled the way Kurt's glance at all his familiar haunts at his old school had lingered just an extra second longer than it should. He remembered the way Kurt had squeezed his hand extra tightly when they entered the McKinley choir room. Most of all, he remembered how Kurt had gazed at his old choir mates with misty eyes when they performed.

Kurt ached to be back at McKinley, and it hit Blaine right then as the pair reprised their duet. Instead of that look of passion and exhilaration in Kurt's eyes, all Blaine saw in that particular moment was a look of mournful regret.

"Hey baby?" Blaine caught Kurt's arm as the Warblers filed out of the music room at the end of rehearsal. Kurt stopped and looked into a pair of shining hazel eyes.

"I know it's not the same as going to Nationals. But we'll still get to perform, and at least get to sing for an audience who'll appreciate us. That's gotta count for something, right?" Blaine smiled sympathetically in his attempts to console his sulking boyfriend. It seemed to work, as Blaine saw the corners of Kurt's mouth turn upward ever so slightly.

"Hmph, well, I suppose singing with the Warblers will at least mean I won't get a cat thrown at me this time," Kurt quipped.

"Now that's the spirit," Blaine pulled the boy to him and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.

"Urm…ahem," Wes coughed, poking his head back inside the doorway. "I know you guys are dying to get your cuddle on, but we gotta lock up the room. Why don't you guys come to dinner with us?"

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, Wes, David, Blaine and Kurt were seated around a table at the Dalton dormitory dining hall. On days when the Warblers had rehearsal, Kurt usually stayed at the private school for dinner before heading back to Lima for the night.<p>

"So guys," Wes said in between mouthfuls of broccoli, "what do you think of our set list for this weekend?"

"I like it," Blaine stated. "It's great that you're letting Nick and Jeff finally take some leads."

"Kurt?" David addressed the fourth member of their group.

"Huh? What?" Kurt had been staring aimlessly into space for the past few minutes and missed the conversation.

"Set list for the nursing home gig."

"Um, oh yeah. Um it's …uh…it's great," Kurt stammered.

Wes threw his arms up in exasperation.

"Okay, let's talk about the elephant in the room here, shall we?" Wes said tersely. "You just want to ditch us now and go back to McKinley, don't you, Kurt?"

Kurt stared at the Warbler councilmen seated across from him. Blaine saw the look of guilt on Kurt's face, and shot a death glare at the head Warbler, sending him non-verbal cues to shut up.

"What, we're not good enough for you now?" Wes snapped. "You just want to win – that's all you care about, isn't it?"

"Wes, stop it!" Blaine shouted, slamming his fist on the table.

"NO!" Wes lashed out angrily. "I am sick of this bullshit. Everyone just wants to move on and try to get next year off to a good start. But you- " Wes shook his finger at Kurt. "-You just mope around during rehearsal wishing you were with New Directions the whole time. You care more about winning more than you care about your friends!"

Kurt stared at the senior Warbler, mouth gaping wide open. _How dare he? Who does he think he is, to judge how I feel? _

"Why do you think we gave you the second lead, huh?" Wes hissed. "We tried to make you happy here, and you don't even appreciate it. You're a selfish little brat!"

A ghastly silence hypnotized the four boys sitting around the dining table. Kurt's face paled, even though he was sure his blood was boiling. He trembled at his friend's vicious comments.

"That's low, Wes," Kurt said icily. "Even for you."

"No, Kurt, Wes doesn't mean it like that," David interjected, having just managed to regain his composure. "We understand. We know how bittersweet it is for you to watch your old friends go to Nationals while you stay behind. We just thought it'd help if you get that off your chest."

"Okay, fine! I do want to go back!" Kurt yelled. "It just sucks that I've been a part of that group for so long, and now they get to go on to Nationals, and I get left behind, all because a bully chased me out of that school. It's just not fair. So, _excuse_ _me _if I want to be a little selfish!" Kurt stood up and violently stacked his dishes on his try.

"I'm leaving now," Kurt huffed. "If anyone needs me, I'll be busy thinking about how selfish I am for wanting to be a part of something I helped to build. Goodbye."

_TBC_

* * *

><p><strong>AN 2:** Okay, so I have a confession to make. This chapter turned out completely different than what I had planned. I hadn't expected Wes to yell at Kurt, but when I came home yesterday, Wes told me he got a rejection letter from Harvard, and he was just really upset about it. He really does love Kurt but it still hurts for him to admit in spite of all the support the Warblers had given Kurt, Kurt still thought of New Directions as home. So, what do you think?


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N:**__ Here it is, my lovely readers. Part two to Kurt's transfer back to McKinley. Enjoy! _

_**Disclaimer:**__ Nope. Still don't own Glee. If I did, Beist would kick the crap out of all the bullies. _

* * *

><p><strong>Ch. 9 - The Right Choice <strong>

Blaine's stare shifted rapidly between the dining hall entrance, through which Kurt had just stormed out, and Wes, who was glaring at his companions at the dining table. He couldn't decide what to do: go after Kurt, or berate Wes for being a colossal prick. Luckily, David made that decision for him. He gestured toward the doors and mouthed to Blaine, "I'll take care of Wes."

Not wasting another second, Blaine dashed after Kurt.

"Kurt! Wait!" Blaine shouted, his feet pounding the pavement in the Dalton student parking lot. Kurt turned around midstride to see a figure sprinting towards him at an abnormally fast pace for someone of that height.

"I'm sorry…about…Wes…" Blaine huffed while trying to catch his breath. "I don't know what got into him. But, you have to know that I don't think the same way."

"Blaine, you don't have to apologize for Wes," Kurt replied resolutely. "He's free to think whatever he wants about me, but that's not going to change the way I feel about this whole situation. And if he doesn't like how I feel, well then he and his damn gavel can just fuck off."

"I'm sure he didn't really mean it. Look, I know how hard this has to be for you. I love having you at Dalton, but it also kills me that you being here was not something of your choosing," Blaine stated ardently. A look of agony crossed his face.

"I know how much it pains you to not be able to go to Nationals with New Directions. And god, it just makes me so angry that Karofsky has ruined all this for you," Blaine seethed, clenching his fists. "If I could make Karofsky go away so you can be at McKinley again, I would. But I can't. I wish it weren't so, but Dalton is the safest place for you to be."

As soon as he had finished speaking, Blaine felt his stomach flip flop. True, he wanted to make Karofsky go away. At the same time, a part of him was glad that the Karofsky problem was still very real – his near-fight with the jock at McKinley a few nights ago proved it. As long as this nuisance still roamed the McKinley halls, Blaine would still have Kurt by his side at Dalton. _But what if he finally gets expelled for good? _Blaine wasn't quite sure if he could handle the prospects of Kurt leaving him, when they had just gotten together. _Stop it stop it stop it_, Blaine told himself. _Stop thinking like this, you selfish idiot, you're supposed to be supportive! _

"Thanks for the concern, Blaine," Kurt responded tiredly. "I've accepted that, but that doesn't mean I can't be pissed off every once in a while. Or pine away at what should have been part of my memory too. Look, let's just forget about this, okay? I really don't want to spend the rest of my life thinking about all that I missed out on because I let a bully chase me out of school."

Blaine cringed at the hint of dejection in Kurt's voice, and silently reprimanded himself for being such a hypocrite. "Kurt-" He was interrupted by Kurt's index finger brushing against his lips, silencing him.

"Yes, I'm upset – upset at this whole situation, at not being able to go to Nationals with New Directions, at Wes for kicking up such a big stink about it," Kurt explained calmly. "But mostly I'm just tired of being upset about it. Listen, why don't you just come with me for coffee with the girls tomorrow after school?"

Blaine looked into Kurt's eyes, and his heart ached once more at the pained look in the boy's eyes. Not knowing how to respond, he simply nodded.

"See you in school tomorrow," Kurt kissed him chastely, and then drove away.

* * *

><p><em>Several days later… <em>

Blaine was agonizing over calculus homework in his room when Kurt burst through the door, panting heavily.

"I'mtransferingbacktoMcKinley!" Kurt blurted out in between gulps of hair.

"Uh huh…WHAT!" Blaine jump in his seat and sent the tower of books on his desk flying to the floor. "You're what?" His slapped his ears and made a mental note to get his hearing checked. He was certain Kurt could not possibly have said what he just said. Or could he?

"Transfering." Kurt said pointedly, stepping over the piles of papers on the floor to approach Blaine. "Back to McKinley."

Blaine's jaw dropped, and he knitted his triangle eyebrows together.

"You're kidding," Blaine spoke urgently, "tell me you're kidding." He stood up and reached for Kurt's hands. Kurt took Blaine's hands into his, but did not move any further.

"You can't go back there with Karofsky!" Blaine exclaimed, recovering his voice. "It's not safe for you. He threatened to kill you…unless…wait, did he get expelled for good this time?" Blaine threw a puzzled look at Kurt.

"No, but the Karofsky situation is under control," Kurt said calmly.

"How?"

Blaine went numb as Kurt recounted the conversation he had with Karofsky in Principal Figgin's office earlier that day. He was taken aback by the absurdity of it all – the Santana and Karofsky pact, the Bully Whips, and the deal between Kurt and his former tormentor. He told himself, surely it had to be part of the jocks' ruse to get Kurt back just so they could make him miserable. Kurt couldn't possibly fall for this lame trick, could he? Or was he just jumping to conclusions because he couldn't handle the thought of Kurt not being at Dalton anymore? _This is not happening, this is not happening, this is not happening_, his brain kept telling him.

"Gee, Kurt," Blaine said hesitatingly, "are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, Karofsky hasn't really changed. You SAW how he volatile he was, and that was less than 2 weeks ago. You _need_ to be safe. I just don't know about this whole thing."

Kurt sat down on the bed and motioned for Blaine to join him. Blaine felt the nervous tension course through his veins as Kurt held his trembling hands.

"Look, you need to trust me on this," Kurt said firmly. "I think between Santana and I, we've got the Karofsky situation under control."

"I don't want you to go back," Blaine blurted out, not able to hold in his true opinion on the matter any longer.

Kurt shot a stern look at his boyfriend and released his grip on the boy's hands.

"Okay, what is with you?" Kurt asked, throwing his arms up in exasperation. "We went through this. I thought you were all for me going back if Karofsky wasn't a threat anymore?"

Blaine stared at his lap. Stupid brain, tricking him into believing that the Karofsky problem would never go away. Of course it had been so easy to sympathize with Kurt for wanting to go back to McKinley, but that had been back when he thought the possibility would never arise. He never in a million years believed that it could actually happen.

"I'm sorry," Blaine whispered his apology, his lips quivering. "It's just…you'll be so far away, and I hate the idea of being away from you. I guess it was my wishful thinking that you'd be around forever. I just don't want to lose you. Not when we've finally just gotten together."

Kurt's expression softened at waver in Blaine's voice. He tilted the boy's chin up with his hand and looked intensely into his eyes.

"Oh, baby," Kurt sighed, "don't you think I haven't thought about this too? It pains me to have to make this decision but I have to because I need to do this for myself. Please, baby, try to understand."

Blaine fought with all his might but could not suppress the sinking feeling in his chest. He realized then the reality of what Kurt was trying to tell him. He looked away, afraid of the emotion that will fly out of him if he looked at Kurt for a second longer.

"I'll miss you terribly too," Kurt murmured. "I know it's not an ideal situation. But hey, look at me, Blaine. Just look at me."

Blaine reluctantly reconnected his eye contact with Kurt.

"Do you believe in us?" Kurt asked pointedly. Blaine nodded without hesitation.

"Then you have to believe that this will work out for the best. You're not losing me. You and I, we're strong. We can handle a little distance. It's hard but we have to believe this."

"When do you go back?" Blaine asked after a few moments.

"Next Monday. I'll have the rest of this week at Dalton."

The boys wrapped their arms around each other. They sat together in a tight embrace, acknowledging in silence each other's anxieties about the distance that would soon separate them.

* * *

><p>A lanky figure peered down at the McKinley courtyard from the top of the concrete steps. Smartly dressed in a white denim jacket, black skinny jeans and suede top hat, his appearance exuded a Kurt Hummel brand of confidence. Beneath that chic outfit, however, the boy was a topsy turvy mess of emotion.<p>

One part of Kurt was excited to be back at McKinley. Finally, he was able to show off his fashion sense. He secretly loved the dapper blazer look on Blaine, but didn't think it left much to the imagination where individuality was concerned. He was happy to be somewhere where he can crack his snarky jokes without the disapproving looks. Most of all, he ached to be back in the choir room, breaking into impromptu song and dance.

Another part of Kurt was nervous. What if Karofsky backed out of their deal? What if the Neanderthals managed to get around the Bully Whips? Part of him still wondered whether he had made the right choice. His last week at Dalton had been nothing less than awkward. Most of the Warblers had taken the news of his departure surprisingly well, but they did keep a certain distance from him. Wes seemed to have gotten over his initial temper tantrum and was civil towards Kurt, but the two had not managed to exchange more than a few words. Blaine had understood that his desire to go to Nationals with New Directions was not due to some shallow love for stardom, and that was what made his heart ache that much more whenever Blaine shot a wistful look at him.

_Well, too late to change my mind now_, Kurt thought to himself. He took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Kurt Hummel is back at McKinley!"

He raced down the steps into the welcoming arms of the New Directions members assembled in the courtyard. The flurry of hugs and pats that greeted him was so overwhelming that he could barely process what was going on. He was taken completely by surprise when he heard a certain familiar voice and saw that familiar blazer clad figure, flanked by the rest of the Warblers.

Kurt's heart fluttered as he listened to Blaine's farewell speech. He lost himself in the warmth of Blaine's hazel eyes. The Warblers had barely started singing when Kurt's eyes became uncomfortably misty. By the time the boys had stopped singing, heart-wrenching passion had taken over both Kurt and Blaine. They collapsed into a tight embrace, clinging to each other as if their lives depended on it.

"I'll never say goodbye to you," Kurt sobbed against Blaine's moist cheek. Blaine responded by gripping him even more tightly.

Blaine's heart ached, and he willed with every ounce of his body for his moment with Kurt to last forever, but eventually he had to let go. As he retreated up the steps with the rest of the Warblers, he stole one last glance at Kurt. What he witnessed brought a warm feeling to his core. Seeing the beautiful glow of Kurt's smile, and seeing the boy surrounded by a group that treated him like family, Blaine knew that Kurt had made the right choice. Blaine went home that day, sad that he could no longer enjoy hallway moments with his soul mate, but proud that Kurt finally felt empowered to take charge of his own life.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN 2:** I hate re-writing dialogue scenes straight out of the show as is, so I skipped over most of it. Hope the flow of this chapter wasn't too awkward as I switched from show canon to my head canon. Next up: the Original Kliss! As usual, thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N:** Hi. Not sure if you still remember me, but here I am. Sorry for the long delay. Tumblr, I swear, will be the death of me. Thank you all for your kind review of past chapters, and for (still!) sticking with me through this rocky road. I'm also behind in replying to reviews, but I will get around to it soon! So, here's part 1 of the Original Songs episode. _

_**Disclaimer:** Don't own Glee. If I did, we'd all be in big trouble._

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><p><strong>Ch. 10 - Misery<strong>_  
><em>

_I don't feel like we're the Warblers anymore. I feel like we're Blaine and the Pips. _

* * *

><p>Blaine gawked in disbelief as Kurt sashayed away, hips swaying and Burberry-accessorized bird cage in hand. Blaine had gone to Kurt for an honest opinion. He had worked hard on the piece, especially the choreography. He admired Kurt's enthusiasm for showmanship, and was hoping for some pointers on how to make "Misery" Regionals-ready. Secretly, he was also fishing for praise on just how much he had gotten the Warblers to step outside their comfort zone. For the love of god, he got them to actually dance. Not just awkward side-stepping, but actual dancing complete with spins, dives and hip hop kicks. He definitely had not expected Kurt to unleash the brunt of his biting sarcasm, and he felt like he had been stung by a dozen jellyfish. He wrung his hands together in agitation. Yet, as much as he was annoyed with Kurt's diva-ish comment, he couldn't help but think that it was kind of hot.<p>

What? Wait, back up the bus. What was _that_ all about?

Literature was usually Blaine's favorite class, but that particular day, Blaine couldn't concentrate to save his own life. His mind raced around a myriad of thoughts. How it was unfair of Kurt to resent him for solos the Warbler Council had chosen for him. The way Kurt's cheeks flushed just a bit when he was irritated. Whether Kurt was actually right about him being an attention whore. How manly Kurt looked when he thrust his shoulders back and told him off for hogging the limelight.

"Mr. Anderson!" a booming voice from the front of the room pierced his thoughts. "Although the topic of today's class is fantasy in Lewis Caroll's works, we do actually need you to leave that world of make-believe and join us in the real world. Perhaps you can pull your head out of the rabbit hole and be a productive member of this class for the remaining fifteen minutes?"

Blaine's ears turned pink. "Sorry, sir, won't happen again," he mumbled apologetically.

There was no denying it. Blaine was in misery.

* * *

><p>Misery got <em>that much <em>worse at Warbler Council meeting the next day.

Kurt had not been at the Lima Bean that morning for their usual pre-class coffee. Blaine lurked around the hallways for any signs of Kurt's distinctive gait, but the boy was nowhere to be seen. No text messages, no phone calls, nothing. _Is Kurt really that upset with me for getting all the lead spots? _Blaine wondered in exasperation. He was starting to take this personally. Diva Kurt, Blaine decided, was no fun at all. So why did he also find Kurt's audacity oddly inspiring?

And then the one person who occupied all of his thoughts burst through the double oak doors leading to the Warblers' rehearsal room, looking as distraught as he did on the day they went to confront Karofsky. All at once Blaine forgot about being annoyed with Kurt. He saw the boy clad in his black funeral chic, and knew at once that something was terribly wrong. He didn't even hear Kurt's jab about needing to practice doo-wopping behind Blaine. All he wanted was to hold the boy in his arms, cuddle him, and kiss his tears until they all went away.

Wait – Cuddling? Kissing? What?

Blaine plopped himself down on the couch, his heated argument with the Warbler Council over costume (well, uniform, really) changes for Regionals all forgotten. He wondered why romantic songs filled his mind just then as he thought about comforting Kurt. Kurt is his best friend. His best friend is upset. It's okay to want to cuddle with your best friend, just to console him in his moment of need, right? There is really nothing wildly inappropriate about that, is there? At least, that's Blaine was trying to tell himself.

Kurt's voice echoed in the room as he sang his tribute to Pavarotti. To the normal human ear, that sounded like a human voice, albeit a very beautiful one. But if you were to ask Blaine right at that very moment what that voice sounded like, he'd mumble something incoherent about a chorus of angels, sirens or other similar mythical creatures. He felt Kurt's passionate gaze burn through his core. His stomach fluttered, and he could have sworn there was a jackhammer in his chest pounding at full force. The heartfelt emotion in Kurt's singing tugged at his heartstrings, and he could feel the tears well up in his eyes. As he listened to that ethereal voice, he could not help but wonder if the lyrics were also meant for him. _You were only waiting for this moment to arise_. But, what on earth could that mean?

Blaine gazed once more into those brilliant, soulful blue eyes. The sunlight pouring in from the window accentuated all the love, care, grief and angst written on Kurt's tear streaked face. All at once, he saw everything he adored about that boy – his compassion, loyalty, tenacity, confidence – the list could go on forever. Blaine was drowning in the tidal wave of his own emotions.

Suddenly it dawned on him as Kurt struck the last notes in his song. He, Blaine Anderson, lead Warbler, best friend and confidant to Kurt Hummel, was irrevocably in love with the brunette counter-tenor. He had been in love with that boy ever since he had driven all the way from Lima to spy on the Warblers. He had been in love with Kurt all through his infatuation with Gap-boy, and through his whole Rachel Berry phase. He just never fully realized it until that fateful "Blackbird" moment.

He, Blaine Anderson, dapper school boy and rookie in all things related to romance, was smitten.

He was in love with his best friend. Great. Just fantastic. But it was the next thought that plagued him the most after his little epiphany. _What the hell am I supposed to do now? _

_Tbc_

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN 2:** I know, I'm a big meanie for not continuing the chapter here. But the epic Kliss is coming! But first, must fangirling wildly over Glee 3D premier...  
><em>


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N and Disclaimer:** Here's Part 2 of Original Songs. Still don't own glee. If I did, Blaine needs to transfer to McKinley NOW._

* * *

><p>Ch. 11 - Don't Ever Look Back<p>

* * *

><p>Kurt felt like he was a character in a Peanuts comic strip. Except that instead of the teachers mumbling incoherently, it was Blaine and the Warbler council.<p>

Blah, blah, wuh, wuh, blah…Kurt wondered when the torturous meeting would be over as the other boys wailed on and on about something as mundane as Blaine's song selection for Regionals. He wasn't listening to a single word of the conversation (well, shouting match, really), and he didn't care much for the verbal battle that seemed to be going on in the room.

That is, until he heard these words tumble out of Blaine's mouth: "I want to rearrange our eleven o'clock number as a duet."

What?

Kurt's attention was now back to the meeting. He stared at the Warbler's lead singer. Maybe his little tough love speech was rubbing off on Blaine after all.

"Make sure I get on the audition list," Kurt blurted out not so discreetly at the Warbler Council table, signaling his approval of the new proposal.

"No, no auditions," Blaine responded with determination. "I want to sing a duet with Kurt."

Everyone turned to look at countertenor, who was sitting up in the couch with ramrod straight posture, now completely alert. Kurt was completely floored. _Me? Duet? With Blaine?_ He pinched himself to make sure this was real.

Kurt never got a chance that day to talk to Blaine about the duet. He sat in his usual spot in French class, mindlessly twirling his pencil. As the afternoon dragged on, his thoughts kept drifting back to Blaine's mysterious proposal during the Warblers' meeting. Kurt was elated that he finally had a shot at the Regionals spotlight, but he felt slightly guilty that he had simply gotten the second lead without having auditioned for it fair and square. He also wondered whether Blaine had chosen him as his duet partner out of pity, having seen how upset he was over Pavarotti's untimely death. After all, it seemed a little suspicious how easily the other Warblers seemed to have consented to Blaine's "no audition" suggestion. Was everyone in on this? He had always expected to earn his first lead the old fashioned way, so this new development put him in a bit of a moral dilemma. At the same time, he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Kurt! Earth to Kurt!" Jeff, a fellow Warbler in his year, snapped his fingers in front of his eyes. "Class is over."

Kurt shook himself out of his thoughts. He glanced around and saw that everyone had vacated the classroom except for Jeff and Nick, another Warbler Kurt had befriended. Perfect. The other two guys who had auditioned with him for Sections, guys who had auditioned countless times and never got a single solo. Just the perfect company to help him feel guilt free about this whole duet thing. Kurt tried to shed that knot in his stomach, reasoning that if they had voted in favor, they must have felt he deserved the change in the spotlight more than they did.

"Oh, hey guys!" Kurt hurriedly swept his belongings into his messenger bag. "Listen, thanks for voting in favor of me getting the other lead for Regionals. It really means a lot to me, especially since you've both auditioned so many times. Are you sure it's cool with you?"

A pair of Chesire cat smiles greeted him in return. "Of course! There'll be other chances for solos. I think we all agree that _you're_ the best choice for a song with _Blaine_," Jeff replied.

"Um, what's _that_ supposed to mean?" Kurt raised an eyebrow.

"You guys sounded awesome for Animal. Your chemistry is so incredible. Not surprised though, since you guys are like, practically joined at the hip," Nick added, winking at Kurt.

"Blaine's probably got something really special planned for this!" Jeff chimed in.

Kurt felt the heat surge to his cheeks as his face reddened, right up to the tips of his ears.

"No, no, no, I'm not like that with Blaine," Kurt protested, vigorously shaking his head while he tried to move past the two boys towards the classroom exit. "We're just friends."

"Sure you are, and the sky is green…"

* * *

><p>"All right, Anderson, what the hell are you up to?"<p>

Blaine was so distracted by his own efforts to not let Kurt consume his every thought that he hadn't noticed Wes and David following him to his dorm room.

"Um, going to my room so I can get some homework done. What's it look like I'm doing?" Blaine turned around and snapped at his stalkers.

"No no no no no," Wes cried in exasperation. "We meant with all that duet business."

Blaine crossed his arms in front of his chest and tapped his feet in annoyance. "No idea what you're talking about," he huffed.

"Oh, come on," David exclaimed, "you're not exactly Mr. Subtle here! Don't think we didn't catch you giving Kurt your lovesick puppy dog eyes."

"Oooh! I wanna to do the duet…with Kuuuurt! Ooooooh!" Wes mocked in a sing-song manner. He launched himself onto Blaine's bed, clutching his stomach in laughter.

Mortified by his friends' insinuations, Blaine slammed his bedroom door shut.

"Shush! Will you guys keep it down?" He sank in his desk chair. Slumping over, he ran his hands through his curls, tugging a little too forcefully at his hair. It dawned on him just then that he hadn't really thought this plan through. Sure, he now had more time to spend with Kurt, but he hadn't a clue what to do next. What do normal teenagers do in these situations anyway? He was beginning to wonder whether this duet was a good idea. Would he be able to get the point across? What if the song choice was wrong? What if Kurt didn't like him that way, and he ends up ruining both their friendship and the Regionals number? He also knew Kurt took his singing very seriously. Focus on the art before anything else, Kurt had always told him. Would the intense performer begrudge him for bringing a very personal thing into this duet?

"I don't know…I just…I don't know how to deal. I'm no good with words. Maybe if I sing a duet with him he'll get it…" Blaine paced nervously in his room.

The giggling from Wes and David stopped abruptly.

"Oh, good god, NO!" David admonished. "We're not having another Gap Attack incident. No no no no no!"

"Trust me, Kurt is the LAST person in the world you can woo through a song with sex toys references," Wes sat up. "You know, Blaine, it's pretty simple. You like Kurt –"

"Madly in love with Kurt is more like it," David muttered.

Wes glared at his friend. "Shush! I'm trying to give our young grasshopper a pep talk here! If he finally gets his act together then we won't have to put up with the googly eyes, the lovesick sighing, Katy Perry on infinite loop and enough sexual tension to cause a nuclear meltdown!"

"Anyway, Blaine," the Warbler Council leader continued, "have you thought of just telling him how you feel?"

Blaine looked down at his toes and mumbled something incoherent.

Wes sighed. "Look, Blaine, you don't need any gimmicks. It's so painfully obvious that Kurt likes you, and goodness, that boy has a patience of a saint to wait around this long. Just let your heart lead for once. You'd be surprised how well that works."

* * *

><p>Blaine had been watching Kurt from behind the doors for at least twenty minutes. His heart fluttered at the sight of the slender boy hunched over the table, hands delicately handling what appeared to be a small black wooden box.<p>

_God, I'm such a wimp_. Blaine thought to himself. _What am I doing out here?_

Outwardly, Blaine appeared calm and confident. Inside, though, was an altogether different story. He replayed the different lines he wanted to say to Kurt over and over. _Hey Kurt, I found a song. We should practice_. No, he didn't like that one, too casual. _Kurt, there's a song I want to sing with you because it reminds me so much of you and me._ No, that didn't sound right either. Kurt, this song is so perfect for you. I can just listen to you sing forever. Yikes, as if that didn't sound creepy at all…

"Oh, what the hell," Blaine muttered in frustration and willed his feet forward with all his might. He stepped into the room and never looked back.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN 2:** Don't panic! I will get to the Kliss, because I'm not the Cruel Cockblocking Piano! I just miss the Warblers already so I thought I'd give them some action. If I am a good girl and finish my normal grown-up work during the day, the Kliss chapter may be up by the end of the weekend. Thank you again to all my lovely readers for the encouragement! If any of you are on Tumblr, feel free to come flail with me (vernalequinox7)_. _Or yell at me to get off Tumblr and write you more fluffy fluffy Klaine scenes... _


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N:** HAPPY KLAINNIVERSARY EVERYONE! Isn't this chapter impeccably timed? It's been exactly five months since the epic Kliss (March 15th). _

_**Disclaimer:** Nope, still don't own Glee. If I did, there are only two words to express my madness: Cheerios Blaine._

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><p><strong>Ch. 12 - The Moment<strong>

_"There is a moment, when you say to yourself: Oh, there you are. I've been looking for you forever._**_"_  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Kurt knew he was in trouble the minute Blaine walked in the door.<p>

He could not, for the entire Alexander McQueen collection, figure out what was going on between him and Blaine in the last twenty four hours. One minute, Blaine had all but cajoled the Warblers into naming him the second lead singer for the Regionals duet, and the next minute he was running away from him. Kurt tried talking to Blaine after the meeting, but his friend muttered something barely coherent about a Latin test, and bolted straight out the door. The boys had one class together the next morning, but their interactions in class had been nothing less than awkward. Firstly, Blaine had walked into the classroom literally a second before the bell rang – highly uncharacteristic of Blaine, since the studious Warbler preferred to be in his seat, notebooks and texts neatly arranged well before the bell signaled the start of class. Then there were all those times Kurt smiled at him from across the room, and Blaine just stared like he had seen his own ghost. Kurt knew as well as anyone that his friendship with Blaine was not without awkward moments, but they had always at least been honest with each other. What had transpired since the day before, it was simply alarming. Finally, Kurt couldn't take the tension any longer, and asked point blank what had been on his mind.

"Why did you pick me to sing the song with?"

* * *

><p>Blaine didn't have a plan. He had no idea what one was supposed to do in these kinds of situations. Ever since his epiphany about Kurt, he felt like he was in purgatory. One minute he ached to be near Kurt and spend every nano-second with him. The next minute he wanted to scream his love for his best friend off a mountain top. It was indeed during those moments that he had been bold enough to nominate Kurt as his duet partner. Then the next minute he wanted to run away and hide under a rock, because he couldn't control his emotions and the thought that Kurt might reject him crushed his soul.<p>

When Kurt asked him that loaded question, Blaine's mind simply shut down. He had no choice but to let his heart take over. His stomach fluttered, his hands trembled, and his knees were shaking so hard under the table that he was surprised Kurt couldn't hear the sound of them crashing together. Taking one deep breath, he closed his eyes and willed himself to speak.

"Kurt, there is a moment, when you say to yourself: Oh, there you are. I've been looking for you forever." Blaine searched Kurt's pale face for a response. Kurt, for the most part, had that deer-in-the-headlights look. Yet for a brief second, Kurt's eyes flickered, as if something had just registered in his mind. This encouraged Blaine to go on. He awkwardly pulled his chair forward and then placed his hand on Kurt's.

"Watching you do 'Blackbird' this week, that was the moment for me…about you," Blaine continued tenderly, his eyes trying to convey what he felt he couldn't with words alone.

"Y-You move me, Kurt," Blaine stuttered. His tremors were so strong that he struggled to keep his voice from breaking, "And this duet would just be an excuse to spend more time with you."

For what seemed like an eternity (it was actually more like two seconds), Blaine's gaze bore intensely at Kurt as he waited for any reaction. Finally, he saw those luscious lips twitch upwards into a smile. Before his brain could register what his body was doing, Blaine was leaning towards Kurt, practically falling out of his chair. When his lips met Kurts' a sense of weightlessness hit him. He lost awareness of everything except for the tantalizing taste of mocha on his mouth, the sweet scent of vanilla that wafted through his nose and the glossy feel of human skin against his cheek as Kurt cupped his palm around his face and returned the kiss. He parted his mouth slightly, and immediately felt Kurt's tongue sweeping across his lips.

Finally, the need for oxygen overpowered Blaine, and he pulled back from Kurt, collapsing into his seat. He wondered whether this was what melting felt like. The kiss was a little awkward, seeing as he was completely off balance, and yet it was so…easy. Everything just felt so effortless, so right. He suddenly felt a little silly. All this time he had worried, if only he had known…He laughed light-heartedly.

"Uh, we should practice," Blaine grinned, his eyes meeting sparkly blue ones.

"I thought we were…" Kurt responded breathlessly.

* * *

><p>Kurt panted heavily as he broke away from the kiss, trying to refill his lungs with air. His hand dropped to the table with a thud, a result of the residual momentum that rushed through his body. The room spun around him, and he felt light headed. The kiss sent bolts of energy through him. Never before had he felt so alive. He smiled at the gorgeous boy across from him who was shielding his glowing face with his hand. He could still taste the cinnamon and spice of Blaine's lips, and the minty scent of his aftershave still lingered in nose. He could still feel the cool, soft skin of Blaine's cheek on his palm. He wondered whether this was how astronauts felt when they were in flight.<p>

A few weeks ago, Kurt had no idea what sultry should look like, but today he had no trouble in that department. Emboldened by the electricity coursing through his veins, he leaned towards Blaine just as the other boy was lunging at him. Lips crashed together this time. Tender affection turned into lustful want, and the boys explored each other with their lips. Kurt instinctively reached for Blaine's waist and pulled the shorter boy onto his lap. Blaine obliged, pressing his firm body against the slender boy. He growled as Kurt nibbled his bottom lip. Kurt took this as a cue to slip his tongue into Blaine's mouth. Emitting throaty moans, Kurt massaged Blaine's tongue with his own. Blaine's breath hitched as he felt Kurt's tongue reach deeper and deeper into his mouth. They clutched each other, trying to memorize the other's muscles with their palms and fingertips. Kurt decided that Blaine's intrusive blazer was not conducive to this exercise, and with one fluid movement, he peeled it off the boy and dropped it to the floor. The boys continued showing their physical passion for each other, only surfacing occasionally to catch a short breath.

Eventually, the boys exhausted their capacity for the kissing marathon. Kurt pressed his forehead to Blaine's and two stayed like this for a few moments, soaking in each other's warm glow.

"Take a walk with me?" Kurt panted. Blaine nodded, his eyes squeezed tightly shut as if it would keep him from unraveling completely. Reluctantly, he pealed himself off Kurt's lap, threw his blazer back on, and led Kurt out of the Seniors' Common.

* * *

><p>The boys wandered outside into the warm spring sunshine, and eventually ended up in the wooded area at the back of the Dalton campus. They walked in silence, mutually acknowledging their need to let what had just happened sink in. Kurt stopped when they reached a large tree with a few leaves that had just started to grow on the sprawling branches. He reached out for Blaine's hand.<p>

"So, where do we go from here?" Kurt glanced meaningfully at Blaine.

"We'll wander around the woods, maybe? Walk by the creek? Go see ducks?" Blaine rambled, "Frolic in the meadow? Whatever you want."

Kurt chuckled. "No, silly, I meant you and me. Where do we stand with each other now, and where are we headed?" He asked again, a more serious tone in his voice.

"I don't know," Blaine replied softly, "but wherever it is, I want to go there with you." He squeezed Kurt's hand.

"So…" Kurt knit his brows in concentration, trying to decipher the meaning of Blaine's words.

"What I mean is, we're seventeen, and neither of us have had a boyfriend before," Blaine explained. "There is just so much that I don't know about relationships and romance. I've said this before and I'll say it again now. I really, really care about you, and I value your friendship above anything else, and I don't want to mess up this friendship. But you and I, we've got something special here, and I want to give us a shot."

Blaine raised Kurt's hand to his lips and kissed it gently.

"So yes," he continued with a little more confidence, "I want a relationship with you. I want to be your boyfriend. If that's what you want."

Blue eyes met hazel ones, and Kurt broke into a sweet smile.

"Yes," he whispered hoarsely, his eyes welling up with tears. "That's exactly what I want. You have no idea how much."

Kurt had always fantasized about an imaginary boyfriend. For years, he had yearned to have someone tell him he was special, for someone to sweep him off his feet. Now it was all real, and the fact that that someone was Blaine – his best friend, his comfort and solace during his darkest, the last person he thought about when he went to sleep at night and the first person he wanted to see when he woke up every morning – it made this moment all the better. He decided that someone must have snuck a vial of Felix Felicious into his coffee that day, because he now had all he ever dreamed of – and more – in Blaine, his boyfriend. Blaine, his boyfriend. _Ah yes_, Kurt thought to himself. _I could get use to this._

* * *

><p>Wes decided that the weather that day was perfect for his first long distance run of the season, and took to the woods behind the Dalton campus. He was trotting down a familiar path when he spotted two familiar figures huddled by a tree. He was about to holler some obscene joke at Blaine and Kurt, but some unknown force stopped him. Instead, he stood aside to watch his two friends. What he observed took his breath away. He saw the two boys gaze lovingly into each other's eyes, content written all over their faces. He saw them lean into each other and kiss tenderly, their affection for each other showing in every little movement. Wes realized that he had just stumbled onto something very sacred. Seeing his friends so happy, he couldn't help but feel a certain warmth blanket him. He drank in the feeling, then took off wordlessly in the opposite direction. There'd be plenty of other opportunities to tease, Wes decided, but for now, the poor sobs could enjoy their blissful moment.<p>

That evening, all of the Warblers except for Kurt and Blaine, got a special text message: _"Klaine is on."_

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN 2:** There. I've finally taken revenge on that cockblocking piano. Hope you enjoyed your Klainniversary present! There wasn't a lot of dialogue in this, and I was playing around with point of view, so I hope you were able to follow who was thinking what and when. "Sexy" is up next, though, I'm not sure when I'll get a chance to update since I'm getting ready for a transatlantic move this week. My overall goal, though, is to get this fic to "Never Been Kissed" by the time Season 3 starts. Let's see what happens! _Last but not least, thank you to all of you for reading this. I am over the moon to be a part of this community of fan fic writers and readers. _  
><em>


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N:** Hi. Me again. Sorry to keep you waiting so long! My RL has been insane these past 2 weeks, and it will only get crazier! Without further ado, here's the Sexy chapter. It's one of my longer ones, so hopefully you'll still be with me at the end! _

_**Disclaimer:** I don't own Glee. If I did, there'd be an intergalactic glee competition. Chris and Darren are already all for it. Come on, writers, I know you got it in ya! _

* * *

><p><em><strong>Ch. 13 - Because You Matter<strong>  
><em>

_Don't throw yourself around like you don't matter, Kurt, because you matter. _

* * *

><p>"You tried to talk to Kurt about <em>what<em>?" Wes stared incredulously at Blaine, eyes bulging and mouth gaping wide open.

"I was just trying to help him out, you know, just encouraging him to get informed. I don't see what's wrong with that," Blaine huffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Blaine was sitting on the floor with Wes and David in their dorm room, munching on chips and salsa during their ritual Friday male bonding, thinly veiled as their weekly game night. David reached across and rapped his knuckles against Blaine's skull.

"Ow," Blaine jumped. "What the hell, man?"

David nodded, smirk on his face. "Yep, dense as lead."

Wes sighed. "You know, for someone who swears everyday how important it is to keep some boundaries between him and a certain blue-eyed 'friend'-" Wes paused to air quote his words, "you sure are clueless about said what's acceptable topics of conversation and what's not."

Blaine shot him a puzzled look.

"Okay, I get that you guys have both decided to do the friend thing, but he did basically say that he was crushing on you, didn't he?"

Blaine shrugged, "Well, he said he thought he was the one I wanted to serenade for Valentine's Day but he didn't exactly say right out that he had a crush on me."

"Okay, fine!" It was Wes' turn to huff. "But that still means that he at least once thought there was something more between you doesn't it?"

Blaine opened his mouth to protest, but then stopped himself. Maybe, just maybe, Wes did have a point.

"So," Wes continued, "how would YOU feel if a guy you're attracted to keeps pushing you to talk about your sex life when it makes you uncomfortable?"

David glanced at Blaine. "Look, all we're saying is, it's a really personal subject, and not everyone is cool with talking about it. Even if you did mean well by it."

The cogs churned in Blaine's head. Maybe what Wes and David said made sense for once. But then again, it wasn't the same for them. He couldn't help but feel some resentment that issues like these were just so different for him and Kurt. If Wes and David wanted to talk about sex and sexuality, they at least had no shortage of people to turn to for that kind of thing. The two certainly weren't shy about sharing their thoughts on with each other. He, on the other hand, didn't think he could so easily talk about gay sex with them, or anyone else for that matter. His own parents were so far in denial about his sexual orientation he might as well talk to a brick wall. Was it so wrong that he wanted to be able to have a conversation about such a delicate topic with someone he trusted? Was it so wrong that he wanted the same thing for his best friend?

A thought suddenly occurred to Blaine as he sat in his friends' room, oblivious to their conversations about the newest iPhone aps. He desperately wanted Kurt to understand why being able to have a conversation about sex was so important to him, and he couldn't think of a better person to help him with this task than Burt Hummel. So he may be overstepping a little, but when it came to his best friend's well-being, he decided it was worth it to test those boundaries.

* * *

><p>The pamphlets burned a hole in his retina.<p>

At least, that's how Kurt felt as he nibbled his toast, eyes passing over the offending pieces of glossy paper. Each came with equally cringe worthy titles. "Boys and Boys." Sounded innocent enough, but Kurt had his doubts. Gingerly, he flipped through the pages. Blah blah blah. Something about hormones. Blah blah. Whelp, nothing new here, Kurt thought to himself. "I Prefer Bottom Bunk! An Illustrated Guide of Boy-on-Boy Intercourse." A gagging noise escaped from Kurt's throat. He felt like he was watching some kind of horror movie, the kind where some six legged monster is chasing after the damsel in distress, and it's obvious someone's about to be eaten alive, and yet one can't help but keep watching, eyes glued to the screen. He thumbed through the pamphlet, fingers barely touching the pages, as if the pamphlet would grow teeth and bite his fingers off if he kept too much contact on the paper. The graphics blinded his eyes like those hideous neon lights at a cheesy dive motel. He couldn't take it any longer, and shoved the monstrous booklet away in disgust.

Stupid pamphlets. Stupid McKinley and their sex ed courses. Stupid Blaine and his stupid idea to sexify the Warblers. He couldn't understand why everyone his age seemed so sex crazed. Just the thought of doing those things in the pamphlets, putting that, in there, terrified him and made him dizzy. He most certainly did not want to talk about that kind of thing when it was so personal. Not with his dad, and most definitely not with Blaine. Kurt wasn't stupid. He paid attention in biology class, he knew his anatomy, and he kept up with the news. He knew how STDs happen. Teenage pregnancy? Well, not really his concern. That's as far as he needed for sex education. Why did everyone have to ram all that other stuff down his throat? And anyway, what's the point if he'd probably never have a boyfriend?

Still, he was oddly touched that his dad had gone through all the trouble of acquiring those obnoxious pamphlets. Recalling the fit he threw at his dad the week before about getting "educated", he supposed he brought this on himself. Sighing, he decided that he couldn't really be mad at his dad for the effort. More than anything, it was Blaine who annoyed him. Blaine, the guy he'd been pining away at for months, was apparently also the fount of knowledge about sex. No way Blaine would ever like him that way now, knowing how virginal he was. And the gas pain comments? Still stung like wasp bites.

A familiar Aretha Franklin tune blared on his phone. Ah, Mercedes. He was glad for the distraction.

"Boo, it's awful," the voice on the other end of the line whined.

"What is?"

"Sex ed with Holly Holliday. Do you know how many songs there are about sex toys? Tons! And sex crazed maniacs like Santana and Puck just kept making lewd jokes about it. Ugh. Can't I just run away and hide out at that little preppy school of yours for a bit? You guys all just seem so much more dignified.

Kurt let out a rueful laugh.

"Ugh, 'Cedes, I don't have it much better. Blaine told me a few days ago my sexy faces make me look like I'm having gas pains, and my dad literally just tried to have 'the Talk' with me not more than half hour ago."

"Oof, that's rough. I'm sorry, Boo. About the first thing, that's not very nice of him! And the second thing, I don't wish that on my worst enemy. I mean, who would want to talk about that with their parents?"

"I know, right? Maybe we both need to run off to a monastery or something. At least there we won't be inundated with that stuff. Ugh. Sorry about your McKinley sex-ed experience too. It can't be a lot of fun, with those frightful, frightful combinations of couples. You'd need a flow chart to keep track of who slept with who."

Mercedes chuckled. "Heh. I suppose I do feel good that I at least haven't been around like the town bicycle."

"Oh, Mercedes, I wish you could just come over here and we can read Vogue like the good old days and feel like we're normal for not being obsessed with sex!"

"That'd be heaven right now. Too bad it's way past curfew for us both. But hey, Boo?"

"Yeah?"

"What Blaine said – don't let that bother you too much, 'kay? Because I happen to think you're damn fine sexy."

Kurt blushed. "Oh come on, you're just obliged to say that because you're my friend."

"Are you kidding me, boy? Have you not looked in a mirror lately? Nobody can pull off skinny jeans the way you do. Trust me. Maybe you've just been in that blazer for too long."

Kurt smiled. "Aw, shucks, thanks Mercedes. That really means a lot to me. Even if Blaine obviously doesn't think so. Geez, I just feel so embarrassed about all of this. First there was that Valentine's day debacle, then there was the Rachel thing, and now this whole Animal ordeal. I give up. You're right, Mercedes. It's a good thing for focus on ourselves and not cave into what the whole world seems to be doing."

"See? Told you. Mercedes knows best."

* * *

><p>A few days had gone by since Blaine's disastrous attempt to school Kurt in the art of being sexy. Nothing more on the subject had been mentioned between the two friends, and Kurt decided that Blaine could be forgiven, as least long enough for them to work on their history project in Kurt's room on a rainy Saturday afternoon. The two boys sat on opposite ends of Kurt's bed, each typing furiously away at their laptops.<p>

"Hey Kurt?" Blaine said tentatively, glancing up from his computer.

"Hmm?" Kurt kept his eyes trained on his screen.

"I didn't mean to insult you, you know. About your sexy faces."

Kurt continued typing. "Yeah, I get it," he sighed. "I was being awkward. I'm not taking it personally. At least, not anymore."

"No, really. I was just being careless with words." It was Blaine's turn to sigh. "What I meant was – and don't take this the wrong way, I'm saying this as your best friend – you do really look sexy when you're not consciously trying to be."

Kurt finally glanced up from his screen and shot his friend a quizzical look. "Oh?"

Blaine nodded. "Yeah, I mean, I get blown away by your style. Whenever you're out of uniform you always manage to own your look. Everything fits you just perfectly, and you just look so…exquisite. Whenever I'm out of uniform all I have is the beach-bum-with-bad-hair look. And the way you walk, the way you move in general, it's just one fluid motion and effortless. If you had done what you did in your 4 Minutes Cheerios routine for Animal, all the girls from Crawford Country Day would be lining up to take you to prom. Oh, crap, I'm rambling, aren't I…" His face reddened as his thoughts trailed off.

"Well, I'm glad somebody finally realizes that I'm fabulous," Kurt smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Wait, how did you know about 4 Minutes?" Kurt blushed so that his cheeks now matched the color of Blaine's face.

"Someone may or may not have done some spying of his own on YouTube," Blaine shrugged sheepishly.

"And about the other day, when we tried to talk about, well, you know…" Blaine continued, sensing that Kurt was not really mad at him anymore.

Kurt squinted at his friend, puzzled frown spreading across his face. "What about it?"

Blaine took in a deep breath. "I know it was awkward for you, and maybe it's none of my business, and maybe I was being too forceful about it. But I just wanted you to know that when you are ready to talk about it, I do really hope that there is somebody there for you – someone that you trust to have a conversation about these things with."

Kurt tilted his head to the side and took a long look at his friend. There was something contemplative about the way Blaine was looking at him. Those hazel eyes, normally full of warmth, conveyed an emotion that Kurt couldn't quite place. Blaine wasn't one to fidget, but Kurt could see the boy clasping and unclasping his hands and twiddling his thumbs.

"It's okay Blaine," Kurt sighed. "My dad gave me 'The Talk' a few nights ago." He cringed at the recollection. "I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole, but for what it's worth, it helped."

"I'm glad," Blaine whispered. He stared at Kurt, eyes swirling. "I'm glad he did that for you. Would have saved me a lot of trouble if my dad had done the same for me…" As his voice tapered off, Blaine looked down at his lap, something that he didn't normally do when talking with Kurt.

Kurt wrinkled his brows in concern. The Blaine that was in his room a few days ago trying to initiate that awkward conversation was a dapper, confident boy who carried himself as if he had been a teen idol for years. The Blaine he saw now was hesitant, melancholic, and dare he say it, afraid.

"Blaine? What's this all about?" Kurt prompted gently.

Blaine remained silent, staring at his hands, weighing whether he wanted to unveil his deeply guarded secret. Kurt, sensing the internal turmoil going through Blaine's mind, set aside his computer and crawled over to the other side of the bed where his friend sat. He placed a hand tenderly on Blaine's.

"Blaine, you know you can tell me anything, right?"

Blaine finally looked up at Kurt and those compassionate blue-green eyes. This gave him the courage to go on.

"I know I sometimes come off as some gay Yoda," Blaine began nervously. "I suppose that's what I sounded like when I was trying to talk to you last time about sex. It's just that I try so hard sometimes to hide the fact that I'm really just as confused and scared about it, and I just…I just really wish I had someone to talk to about it."

Kurt glanced apologetically at Blaine. "I'm sorry, Blaine. I'm sorry I threw you out without giving you a chance to –"

Blaine held up his hand to interrupt. "It's okay, I understand, it really is an awkward subject, and I get that it's hard for some people to talk or joke about it like other people do."

Kurt nodded in acknowledgement.

"I've never really had everyone to talk to about sex," Blaine continued a little more calmly. "I'm sure you know how it is – it's social suicide to bring up these kinds of things at a very homophobic public high school."

Kurt cringed. "So, you turned to the Internet, I assume?"

"Yeah. I really wasn't kidding when I said everything I know about sex I learned from the Internet. But it got really frustrating for me, you know? Wes and David and all the other guys at Dalton, they joke about it so much. When I transferred there, a lot of the guys were just getting into some serious relationships, and so of course they're always teasing each other about how far they'd gone with their girlfriends. They never gave me any grief about it or tried to 'test' my sexual knowledge, but still, I didn't think anyone wanted to hear about gay sex. But, well, I was still curious about these things so I started checking out some online chat rooms."

Blaine held his breath, looking to Kurt and half expecting a lecture about Internet safety. Instead, Kurt squeezed his hand.

"Go on," Kurt encouraged. "That's not all of it, is it?"

Blaine squeezed his eyes shut and tried to absorb the warmth seeping through Kurt's finger tips. Maybe Kurt was onto something about the touch of the finger tips. This was not one of those sensual Broadway moments, but it didn't matter for Blaine. All he knew was that he felt a life line connecting him and Kurt through their fingers.

"A little while after I transferred to Dalton, I met this college guy online, and he invited me to a party at his dorm. I didn't exactly say how old I was, and I looked old enough to pass for a college freshman. I was really lonely, and I don't know, I was just maybe wondering what it would be like to hook up, and if it'd be as exciting as some guys say it is. So I went to this party. And…em, uh," Blaine faltered, searching his brain for words that wouldn't come to his mouth.

"What happened at the party, Blaine?" Kurt asked quietly.

"The guy I met…um, he, uh, he got drunk and started pressuring me to do some things," Blaine stuttered, nervously picking at a loose thread from his jeans. "He, um, wanted me to do some…some sexual things I had read about online. And my first thought was, oh, cripes, I'm not ready for this, this wasn't what I thought it'd be like, and so I said no. He got real angry."

Blaine stopped talking when he saw the devastated look on Kurt's face. The color drained from boy's face, leaving him paler than his usual porcelain toned skin.

"Oh, geez, Blaine," Kurt whispered hoarsely. "Please tell me he didn't…"

Kurt didn't finish his sentence. Blaine read the horror etched on Kurt's visage, sensed his friend stiffening up, and understood immediately what he needed to know.

"No, no, no," Blaine responded, his voice quivering. "Nothing happened because someone pulled the fire alarm, and he got distracted and I ran away from that place as far as I could."

Kurt sighed in relief. "Oh, gosh, I'm glad he didn't do anything to you. But I'm so sorry, you must have been terrified."

"I've never been more afraid in my life." Blaine squeezed his eyes shut again. "It was a close call, but god, I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't managed to get away. I've never told anyone about this before. It was _such_ a stupid thing to do, and I'm still so, so _ashamed_ I let things get so far."

Kurt edged closer and wrapped his arm around Blaine's trembling shoulders, pulling him to his side and rubbing soothing patterns up and down his arm.

"Blaine, it's okay, we all make mistakes and being lonely makes us do some unusual things, but no matter the situation it still doesn't make it okay for anyone to force you to do something you're uncomfortable with. The important thing is that you're here now in one piece and you're finally talking about it. I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me about this. You have to know, Blaine, I'm here for you. Always."

Hearing the compassionate tone in Kurt's voice unleashed the floodgate guarding Blaine's emotions. His steely resolve to keep up a peppy exterior regardless of circumstances shattered as he let his friend hold him more tightly. He couldn't remember the last time he cried, but he finally felt relieved when he dropped his head to the nook of Kurt's long neck and let the tears fall freely.

"I'm here for you, Blaine," Kurt repeated quietly. Blaine raised his head and gazed into Kurt's misty eyes.

"Thank you," Blaine said breathily. "Thank you for just listening, and not judging me." He broke away and clasped Kurt's hands in his.

"I still don't know how I feel about this whole thing," Blaine said contemplatively. "You'd think this whole situation would turn me off from all thoughts about anything sexual, but I am still curious. I don't know…"

Kurt stared intensely at his friend, uncertain what he could say. A few days ago he felt overwhelmingly embarrassed just at the prospect of having to talk about sex, but, in that moment he somehow felt differently about it. He didn't feel like he was talking with Blaine about some deeply taboo subject. It just felt like they were having one of their deep discussions about the unknown.

"So, what you're saying is that doing it is still important for you?" Kurt asked timidly.

"But not until I'm really ready for it. When I do it, I don't want it to be with some drunken frat boy at some dumb college party. I'd want it to be with someone I love, someone I trust with everything that I'm vulnerable about myself."

"You know, this thing that happened to me…that's why I wanted you to be able to talk to someone about it. I know we might not have the same thoughts about what it means, but I never want you to go through what I went through because you didn't feel you had anyone in your life you could turn to about these issues." Blaine said resolutely. "You matter to me, Kurt, a whole lot, and I will do everything in my power to keep you from getting hurt."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN 2:** So, this one was another awkward one for me to write. My head cannon really ran away on me, so thanks to all my readers, old and new, for indulging!_


	14. Chapter 14

_**A/N**: Hi... *Waves guiltily* Very sorry for the long wait, my lovelies. Okay, so apparently my plan to finish this fic to NBK by the beginning of Season 3 was wishful thinking. A combination of Season 3 hype and an overdose of real life has prevented me from writing. But season 3 is back, and so am I! Well, kind of. What did you all think about the season opener? The Klaine scenes melted me into a giant puddle and it took me a full 3 days to reconstitute myself from liquid._

_Here's the long awaited Ch. 14, which is the Blame it on the Alcohol episode. Oh, can you tell, I love Furt brotherhood? _

_**Disclaimer**: Nuh uh. Don't own Glee. If I did, I'd make darn sure Blaine and Kurt are in the same grade._

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><p><strong>Ch. 14 - Acceptance <strong>

_"Yep, I'm gay. 100% Gay."_

* * *

><p>Kurt's heart leapt when heard these words from Blaine. He barely heard Rachel's rambling about song writing gold.<p>

"Hello? Earth to Kurt?" Rachel flapped her arms in front of Kurt's facing, bouncing on her toes.

"Hmph?" Kurt ignored her, staring expectantly at the door to the men's washroom.

"I gotta get working on my songs!" Rachel squealed. She ushered him forward in the coffee line. "You keep your Blainey boy's place in line, okay? Looks like you guys have lots to talk about." She turned on her heels and bolted out the door of the Lima Bean. Moments later, Kurt saw Blaine emerged from the bathroom. The tall counter-tenor gave his friend an enthusiastic wave from a distance.

Blaine's soft smile faded when he approached the coffee line. It did not reappear when Kurt stepped aside and gestured for him to re-claim his spot.

"So I guess you heard all that, huh?" Blaine stated surly.

Kurt nodded vigorously. "Listen, Blaine, I -" Blaine held up his to interrupt.

"Stop," he hissed. "Just stop it. I don't want to hear your 'I told you so,' okay? I feel stupid enough as it is." He spun around and sped toward the exit, leaving Kurt dumbfounded.

* * *

><p>Finn Hudson had the appetite of an entire football team, and every night, he always had to have a late night snack. Like clockwork, he'd awake from his deep slumber every night around 1am and stumble half conscious into the kitchen for whatever happened to be left over from dinner. One night, an usual sound coming from the hallway halted him in his tracks. It sounded like sobbing, and it was coming from Kurt's room.<p>

Finn tiptoed towards his stepbrother's room and rapped softly on the door.

"Kurt?"

No answer.

Finn nudged the door open slightly and poked his head in. All he could see was a giant lump on the bed across the room - a giant lump that was emitting a heart wrenching wail. Without hesitation, he crossed the floor and sat on the floor next to the bed.

"Kurt? Hey Kurt?" he shook Kurt's shoulders gently. "Shhh, it's me Finn. What's wrong?"

Kurt flipped over on the bed and slowly peeled the covers away from his head. It was dark, but the moonlight that shone through the window was enough to illuminate Kurt's tear stained cheeks.

"Hey bro? Is it the bullies? Are they not sticking to that zero-tolerance thing at Dalton? You can tell me, Puck and I will set things right," Finn said in concern.

"Oh, gosh, no," Kurt sniffed. "It's nothing like that. I'm just upset about some other stuff, you wouldn't understand…just go back to bed, Finn."

Finn frowned. "Dude, you don't look or sound okay. You haven't cried like this since your dad was in the hospital. Maybe you'll feel better if you talk about it?"

Kurt shifted in his bed and sighed. "It's Blaine. I think I really screwed things up with him."

Finn scratched his head absentmindedly. "Blaine…that guy in your glee club that you're always with? What happened?"

"Long story," Kurt mumbled.

The boy on the floor stood abruptly. "I got an idea, I'll be right back."

A few minutes later, Finn returned tugging an air mattress behind him and dangerously balancing a tray of milk and cookies on his other arm. Kurt leapt out of bed and snatched the tray away.

"Woah, careful, don't want to drop all of that on the carpet now. What's this all about?"

The hulking football player shrugged sheepishly as he laid out the air mattress on the floor next to the bed. "Well, you were always bugging me to do one of those milk and cookie fireside chat things, I thought maybe we'd go through with it this time."

Kurt crawled back into his bed. "Thanks, Finn. I appreciate it."

The brothers talked though bites of cookies and gulps of milk. Kurt told Finn everything about his fight with Blaine: his annoyance with his friend's drunken behavior, the jealousy he felt over Blaine's kiss with Rachel, and his shock at his dapper and calm role model's seeming confusion about his sexual orientation.

"So, yeah, I think Blaine hates me now, and I feel like I've lost my best friend. I don't know what to do," Kurt moaned.

An awkward silence filled the room as Finn gulped the last few drops of milk in his glass, as if to buy more time to think of an appropriate response.

"I'm sorry. Rachel shouldn't have tried to pull that on you," Finn spoke at last. Kurt stared morosely at the ceiling.

"Doesn't matter now, he probably really does like girls now anyway," Kurt mumbled into his duvet.

"This Blaine guy, he really means a lot to you, doesn't he?" Finn asked quietly.

Kurt nodded.

His stepbrother drew in a deep breath. "So, let me ask you one thing. If he's so close to you, does it really matter if he likes guys, or girls, or both?"

Kurt frowned, and Finn winced in reaction. It seemed like he touched a nerve.

"Look, don't get mad at me," the bigger boy stated. "Just trying to help you out here. You wouldn't stop being friends with him, just because he might be…what word did you use earlier? Bi-sexual?"

Kurt stared at his lap, lacing and unlacing his fingers absentmindedly.

"Well, no." Kurt responded sullenly. "I just…well, I guess I'm just a little hurt that he didn't feel he could talk to me about it, if he had been feeling confused about his sexual orientation all this time. I'm just afraid that with time we'll drift apart, because that one thing that brought us together - being gay kids in small town Ohio - won't be something that we'll have in common."

Finn flopped on his mattress and stared at the ceiling, crossing his hands behind his head. He felt a twang of guilt at Kurt's last comment, remembering all those times Kurt was looking for someone to just listen, someone to just see the world from his point of view, and he had let him down. Now that the two shared the same roof as brothers, he promised himself that he would try harder to stick up for Kurt, no matter how difficult it would be.

"You know something, Kurt?" Finn finally responded, trying to brighten the tone in his voice. "I think you and Blaine are strong, and you'll figure things out."

Kurt scrunched his blanket around his chin. "How do you know?"

"Dunno," Finn shrugged. "Just a feeling. Look, I've only met the guy a few times, but he talks about you like you mean the world to him. Even when he's drunk out of his mind…"

Kurt shot him a puzzled look.

"Trust me on this, he talked my ear off at that party while you were off somewhere moping," Finn grimaced. "But anyway, my point is, you and I haven't always gotten along that great, but we worked it out, didn't we?"

"That's because we have to. Our parents are married to each other, remember?" Kurt retorted.

"Nuh uh," Finn shot back in defense. "Don't start that with me, bro. I'd still be your friend even if mom didn't marry Burt."

The two boys lay in bed, staring into the dark while waiting for sleep to take hold.

"Finn?"

"Hmph?"

"Thanks. For all this."

"Any time, bro."

* * *

><p>Blaine was sprawled lazily across the couch in the Dalton Senior's Common, deeply engrossed in <em>Of Mice and Men.<em> Besides music, literature was his world when he needed an escape from things that troubled him.

"Um, Blaine?"

The boy on the couch jumped.

"Er, hello, Kurt," he said brusquely.

"Can I talk to you for a few minutes?"

"Well, only if you're not going to berate me about something I can't control," Blaine replied sardonically.

The boy standing in front of him choked back a gasp. He held a padded envelope, and he clutched it more tightly. He looked at his friend with pleading eyes.

"I'm sorry, Blaine, I really am," he quivered.

The hard lines on Blaine's face softened. He sat up and gestured for Kurt to take a seat next to him.

"I said some very hurtful things to you, and you're right, I of all people should have known better," Kurt said remorsefully. "I just want you know that whether you like guys, or girls, or both, it doesn't matter to me. I accept you for who you are. You're my best friend and none of this will change that."

Blaine sat silently, breathing in slowly and deeply as he felt a surge of emotion he couldn't quite place.

The silence was rather uncomfortable for Kurt, and he subconsciously clenched his muscles. He wasn't quite sure if the lack of response was a good thing.

"I do know that such thing as bisexuality exists," he explained. "It's just that in the heat of the moment I lost my cool and I guess I imposed my own situation on you – you know, my whole Brittany thing from last year. It wasn't fair for me to do that to you."

"Well," Blaine spoke softly after a long moment of uncomfortable silence, "I'm glad you've come to that conclusion."

He studied Kurt's face closely. The boy's pale skin looked whiter than usual, and he had dark circles under his eyes. He had only seen his friend like that when they had first met, when the counter tenor was still at McKinley and dealing with the wrath of the bullies. Here was the proud and fierce Kurt Hummel, who shielded himself with his snarky demeanor, laying down a most heartfelt apology. Frankly, he was quite moved.

"Apology accepted," Blaine found himself saying. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry I compared you to Karofsky. I know you're not him. I was just hurt that you didn't react the way I hoped you would react."

Kurt nodded in understanding. "I was being a jerk, simply put. I guess I was just afraid of losing you to a girl. I was afraid that you wouldn't understand me anymore. But I guess that I should have given you the benefit of the doubt."

"All right, let me set something straight here," Blaine said steadfastly. "I am always going to be your friend. You mean too much to me, and come hell or high water, I will always put our friendship first. Scouts honor." He held up three fingers as if to swear an oath.

Kurt let out the breath he was holding and let his muscles relax. He suddenly remembered that he was clutching a package. He handed it to Blaine. "Here, I made this for you. Consider it my olive branch."

A gentle smile spread across Blaine's face as he looked up at Kurt and reached for the padded envelope. "Oh, Kurt, you didn't have to…"

Blaine handled the package gingerly, feeling quickly for the contours of the envelope before he carefully tore it apart. He pulled out what felt like a photo frame from the wrapping. His jaw fell slightly open when he saw what was in the frame. It was a cross stitched word collage featuring his name in bold, with a dozen adjectives emblazon stemming from each letter in his name. The collage was bordered with floss in Dalton colors. Blaine traced the stitches lightly with his calloused fingers. He felt tears well up in his eyes. Yes, the collage was perhaps a little cheesy, but it was exquisite in a uniquely Kurt way. It was perfect.

"Oh, wow," Blaine managed to choke back the lump in his throat. "This is so….wow, Kurt, no one's ever made me anything before. I can't believe you did all this for me!"

"You once said you weren't so sure of who you are," Kurt said shyly. "So, this is my way of helping you out in that department. It's everything I think you are, though this list doesn't nearly cover it. But well, my point is, your sexual orientation shouldn't be the only thing that identifies you, because you are so much more than that, Blaine."

Blaine looked at his friend with adoration in his eyes, trying desperately not to let his emotions overwhelm him.

"So, do you like it?" Kurt asked timidly.

"Like it? I love it." Blaine launched himself at Kurt and enveloped the slender boy in a tight hug. "I mean it, Kurt. This means a lot to me. I'm really lucky to have a friend like you."

"So, are we good now?" Kurt said breathlessly when he was finally released from Blaine's grip.

Blaine nodded. He looked at the word collage once more, and then winked at Kurt.

"Hmmmm…so, you think I'm dapper?"

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN 2:** Okay, so I'm very much on the fence about finishing this fic (meaning writing in the gaps back to NBK). The head canons are still there in my head, but it feels like I'm flogging a dead horse now. I'm not sure if people are still interested in reading it since we'll be well into season 3 by the time I write this fic back to when Klaine first met. What do you think? If you do really want to see this thing back to NBK, please let me know in PM or in reviews. If there's enough interest, I'll keep writing (although with VERY sporadic updates). If not, I think I'll end this here and start planning out a new fic. Again, thanks for sticking with this through the summer! _


	15. Chapter 15

_**A/N:** Yes, I know, I am a big slacker. I am overdue for a chapter, but anyway, here it is: the Silly Love Songs Episode. _

_In other news, I have to shamelessly self promote **The 25 Christmasses of Kurt and Blaine**, a little Christmas Klaine fic collaboration between me, eli7abeth, JessicaDB and Starsleeper (go check out their profiles!). "Join us every day from December 1st through December 24th, as Kurt and Blaine will be sharing with you (and their daughter) a story about each and every Christmas, from 2010 up to 2033, giving you a unique insight into their life as a couple. Each story will be posted at 8 PM CET. So instead of chocolates, you get our kind of little treat, every day. You don't even have to open up the little doors!" _

_You can find **The 25 Christmasses of Kurt and Blaine** linked to my profile, on ScarvesandcoffeeDOTnet, and on . _

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><p><strong>Ch. 15 - That's what Friends are for<strong>

_To all the singles out there, this is our year._

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><p>Blaine smiled and burrowed under the covers as he fondly recalled Kurt's words. Valentine's Day wasn't exactly the way he had imagined it to be. There was no candle light dinner, and no making out at the back of a dark movie theater. There was no date with Mr. Gap-Guy-With-the-Hair. Instead he had a "date" with all the Warblers, their girlfriends and all of New Directions. There was music, laughter, and good company. It wasn't at all the romantic experience he wanted to have, but when he thought about the way Kurt's sparkly eyes lit up, it just felt right. Those eyes were Blaine's last thoughts as he drifted off to sleep on a cold February night.<p>

_Day before Valentine's Day… _

"HEY! PUT ME DOWN! PUT ME DOWN!" Blaine shrieked and thrashed as David and Wes hauled him by his arms and legs down the corridor of their dormitory building.

"Oh, trust me Blaine, this is for your own good," David muttered.

"You are NOT going to spend another day moping in your room," Wes admonished, taking giant strides.

"Stop it! Where are you taking me?"

"You, my friend, need an intervention," David smirked as he kicked open the double oak doors to the dormitory.

Kurt stood at the top of the steps outside, bundled up in his grey pea coat, messenger bag slung over his shoulder. He grabbed Blaine by the arm and tugged him down the steps.

"Thank you, gentlemen, I'll take it from here," he shouted over his shoulder, dragging his friend across the courtyard to the parking lot.

"Anytime, buddy," Wes yelled in response. "Please, please, please smack some sense back into him for us, will ya? We're tired of the moping."

* * *

><p>"Geez, Kurt, did you have to get those Neanderthals to manhandle me like that?" Blaine scoffed, sitting in the passenger seat of Kurt's car.<p>

Kurt raised an eyebrow without taking his gaze off the road. "Well, you wouldn't have left your room of your own accord, so…"

Blaine folded his arms across his chest and pouted. "Fine. You win. Where are we going?"

Kurt stole a look at the boy seated in the passenger's seat. "Well, Blaine, we are going to go get coffee at the Lima Bean," he spoke in his teacher voice. "Like we always do. Like normal people."

Out of the corner of his eye, Kurt saw Blaine open his mouth in protest. "Uh, uh, no complaining. You need to realize that life doesn't have to stop because of an unrequited crush. So I'm just going to feed you cookies and coffee until you start smiling again." Kurt really did mean it. Sure, he was crushed when he found first found out that he wasn't the object of Blaine's affection, and he had felt sick to his stomach during that whole Gap Attack. He thought that Jeremiah rejecting Blaine would make him feel better, but it didn't. There was nothing comforting about seeing Blaine in misery.

Blaine scowled. "Oh, so I suppose you think you're the love guru now," he muttered under his breath.

"I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear that."

When the boys reached the Lima Bean, Kurt pulled his reluctant friend into the coffee shop. The brightly decorated store almost blinded them. Kurt surveyed the room, decked in red and pink streamers and sparkly hearts, and his jaw dropped at the sheer amount of fluff. It seemed like the Valentine's Day theme paraphernalia had multiplied four-fold. Blaine's reaction was more visceral.

"Ugh, do they have anything here that isn't covered in stupid little hearts?" he growled, eyeing the stuffed puppy on the heart cushion with utter disdain. _Stupid Valentine's Day_, he thought to himself. _Stupid Gap and stupid Jeremiah. What's the bloody point of all this if you can't even get one crummy date?_ He felt as if this whole concept of Valentine's Day was invented just to torment him. _Why the hell did Kurt have to bring me here, of all places?_ He glared icily, not at anything in general. "Gross," he scoffed.

"Well," Kurt said catatonically, standing in line next to Blaine with his arms crossed, "you've certainly changed your tune." Blaine wasn't going to make this cheering up session easy.

Blaine grimaced. "I don't think I've made that big of a fool of myself, which is really saying something because I've performed at theme parks." The disgust in his voice was clearly audible.

Kurt bit his lower lip. He was trying his best to suppress the urge to scold some sense into his friend. _It's just a stupid crush_, he wanted to scream. _Stop acting like it's the end of the world!_ But he knew he couldn't do that, because mere days ago he felt the very same way, when he first found out about Jeremiah. It took Mercedes and Rachel Berry (ugh!) of all people to bring him out of his funk.

"I just…" Blaine shook his head. "I just can't believe I made it up all in my head," he said wistfully, eyes downcast.

Before Kurt knew what he was doing, the words tumbled out of his mouth. "Look, can I ask you something?" He stepped up next to Blaine, keeping his eyes on his friend. "Because we've always been completely honest with each other." By the time his brain had caught up with his words, he realized that it was too late.

"You and I, we hang out, we sing flirty duets together, you know my coffee order. Was I supposed to think that was nothing?" He continued without skipping a beat.

Blaine furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I thought the guy you wanted to ask out on Valentine's Day…was me."

Kurt saw the deer-in-the-headlights look in Blaine's eyes. _Shit, shit, shit, shit…What have I done?_

"Wow…" Blaine felt like he had just been hit by a truck. "I really am clueless," he said, more to himself than to Kurt. All these months he had spent with Kurt he had suppressed the thought that Kurt could possibly like him _that_ way. It wasn't that he had absolutely no interest in Kurt. But the thought of being with Kurt in _that_ way sent butterflies to his stomach, and that feeling always sent him into a free fall. Blaine really hated not being able to control his emotions. He took on a mentor role with Kurt because it helped him establish boundaries – boundaries that were meant to keep him from _those_ feelings. He fixated on Jeremiah because it was easier than trying to figure out where he actually stood with Kurt. Was Kurt now confessing his love for him? _No_, Blaine thought, _it's just a figment of my imagination_. _Kurt's just calling me out for leading him on, no more and no less. _

"Look, Kurt, I don't know what I'm doing. I pretend like I do, and I know how to act it out in song. But the truth is, I've never really been anyone's boyfriend."

"Me either," Kurt replied with a sad smile. Blaine saw the melancholy in his friend's eyes, and knew that he had to set things right.

"Let me be really clear about something. I really care about you, but as you and twenty mortified shoppers saw, I'm not very good at romance." He looked at Kurt sincerely. "I don't want to mess this up."

Kurt's smile brightened a little. It wasn't exactly the response he was seeking, but it was better than other possible alternatives. To be honest, he was just happy that Blaine hadn't stormed out in disgust. "So it's just like when Harry met Sally, only I get to play Meg Ryan."

"Deal!" Blaine chuckled. He thought about it some more. "Don't they get together in the end?"

Kurt ignored him. "Can I get a non-fat mocha and a medium drip for my friend Billy Crystal here…"

"You know my coffee order…"

A thought occurred to Kurt. "You know what? I think I've got something for us to do on Valentine's Day!"

* * *

><p>"Did you SEE Lauren and Puck flirting? That's just…wow!" Kurt and Blaine sauntered out of Breadsticks, giggling at their friends' antics.<p>

"And Thad practically ogling Brittany!"

Breadsticks had closed for the night, and the Warblers and New Directions members were headed for their cars.

"Kurt, you need a ride? It's not a problem for me to drop you off at home before I head back to the dorms at Dalton. We got curfew extended by an hour tonight," Blaine offered as the boys approached his car.

"Nah, it's okay," Kurt smiled. "I'm driving home with Mercedes and Rachel…if she can ever stop making googly eyes at the Warblers!" He rolled his eyes, nodding his head towards the restaurant entrance, where Rachel stood chatting with a few blazer-clad boys.

Blaine chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.

"Hey Kurt," he looked adoringly into a pair of warm, blue-green eyes. "Thank you. I had a really good time tonight. The Lonely Hearts Club was a great idea. You really got me out of a bad rut."

Kurt reached out and rested his hand gently on Blaine's shoulder. "No, Blaine, you don't have to thank me for anything. I'm just glad you're smiling again. You're not so much fun to hang out with when you're Mr. Grouchy Pants."

Blaine smiled tenderly. "Point taken!" He looked down shyly at his feet. "Kurt," he said softly, "why did you come to the Gap Attack, if you thought…"

Kurt cut off him off. "Because you're my friend, my best friend, in fact. What kind of a friend would I be if I didn't support you?" He was about to walk away when a strong pair of arms enveloped him in a crushing bear hug.

"Best friends, huh?" Blaine said warmly. "I like the sound of that."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN 2**: Et voila. I didn't really know what to do with this episode, because I liked it so much that I didn't have much to add to it. Next up, the Superbowl and Christmas! _


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